Bible Babel

Why does a rain of frogs close out the film Magnolia? Was the serpent in Eden really Satan, or just a snake? Kristin Swenson, a religious studies professor, takes these kinds of questions as her starting points. Her book explains the Bible through the findings of biblical scholarship, with frequent references to modern pop culture, and it neither champions nor attacks any particular belief.

The book also looks at where familiar religious symbols come from, such as the fish that Christians have long used as an emblem, and it asks what to make of the odd lamb with seven horns and seven eyes that unseals a scroll. It shows how people draw on scripture to argue opposing sides of today's most heated controversies. A Metallica bassist naming a song after a Cecil B. DeMille epic offers another glimpse of how the Bible has seeped into everyday culture.

The result suits readers who want a clearer picture of a text that gets discussed, quoted and fought over constantly, whether or not they come to it with any faith background. Swenson's tone is witty and lighthearted, so the material stays approachable throughout.