Here are two short books connected to the Bible, written during the solitude of the pandemic. They are quite different. Each reveals something more than the text itself.

The first is a true gem. Stegman considers in detail several books of the Catholic canon (the later epistles and Revelation) which receive little exposure in the church’s daily or Sunday Mass readings. He offers a compelling apologia for exploring these neglected texts. As he notes, they present “significant information about who God is and what God wants for us.” The book is rooted in good scripture scholarship but is anything but off-putting to the average reader. Rather, it provides a strong motivation to grow in faith.

The author examines the context (beyond the actual time frame of Jesus’ life) and provides illusions to other texts, both scriptural and contemporary. He tackles “problems and puzzles” such as the notion of Jesus as high priest—a Jewish reference in a Christian setting—and the apocalyptic themes in the book of Revelation, which can be corrupted to apply wrongly to modern situations—not what the authors intended. He cautions against using passages about slavery to oppress today’s vulnerable people.

It is hard to find anything to dislike here. Perhaps the author could have offered fewer questions after each chapter; but the content, the connections both to other biblical passages (from both the Hebrew and Christian corpus), the references to contemporary texts and context make it a great read. Even the footnotes are chocked full of interesting details.

I would recommend Stegman’s work for private use as well as for group study of the scriptural books he discusses. It is a wonderful “road less traveled” for prayer, but it would be great for sharing within a group. And I must take back my critique. Certainly, the longer list of questions he provides would prompt good discussion for a group.

The second book is the work of a retired Methodist minister. The Preface identifies it as autobiographical, noting the deep relationship the author has with scripture dating even from his childhood. Gonzales goes beyond the texts to consider the interface of the holy book by and in cultures well after the period when they were composed.

The title, The Bible in the Early Church, is misleading. One might expect a discussion of the various churches in the first centuries, and a concentration on the later canonical writings, similar to Stegman’s book. Rather, this author does something quite different. He expands the topic to focus on the place of the Bible in the development and historical context of Christianity well beyond what is normally the meaning of “biblical times.”

He divides the work into three sections, considering the shape, the use, and interpretation of the Bible throughout the centuries. In the first section, he explores the material construction of early bibles, made of papyrus or even board, to the printed paper versions we know today. Description of the engineering of early “books,” as well as well as their contents is discussed with graphic precision. Even though most of us have seen pictures of ancient manuscripts, naming the reality is telling: the idea that Hebrew and Greek did not separate words or, in the case of Hebrew, even have vowels, explodes our assumption of “bible” as a bound paper book. This rather unique approach helps the reader understand why there was not originally a wide distribution of a written text—available on a first century equivalent of Amazon—and how that contributed to how the Bible was used historically.

The rest of the book takes the dialogue between the Bible itself and the context in which it has existed through the centuries, well beyond the title’s “Early Church.” In section 2 he looks at the use of Bible both in worship (noting the shift from the word itself to the sacred meal) and in private use (as copies became more accessible). An interesting note is that some kept the physical Bible in their homes as a kind of sacred object, not necessarily for use as a tool for spiritual growth. I remember this custom as common in my childhood.

Section 3 selects important texts (Creation, Exodus, John), parsing their interpretation and indicating lessons for understanding them. Gonzales notes, “The word of God deserves the best material.” He has contributed such “material,” beyond the physical described in Section 1.

Appended is a “Cast of Characters,” that is, a short description of people who influenced the advancement of the Bible through the ages. Understanding the “who” helps explain the use of the “what.” There is a bibliography and index for the reader who wishes to dig more deeply. While providing an unexpected content, the book is interesting and readable. It could be used for personal enrichment as well as for larger group enlightenment.