St. Mary’s Press, 2006, 260 pp., $14.95, www.smp.org
Highlighting both the stories of the Bible and its truth, The Bible from Scratch will be enjoyable for teens (or even adults) who might be intimidated by the Word or are just starting their faith journey. The guide also provides help for youth leaders wanting to offer interesting details from any book of the Bible they’re speaking from.
With Jenkins, the London-based founder and editor of the Christian satire webzine www.shipoffools.com, as the author, The Bible from Scratch is conversational and humorous in tone. Chapters are illustrated with cartoons and bubble captions.
Non-Catholics who don’t get the Catholic references may want to try the 1987 Protestant version. But Jenkins does a good job of explaining the Apocrypha and other Catholic traditions without being defensive.
Review by Danette Matty