What's your take on Val D. Greenwood making reference to different religious books?

Use this forum to discuss the August 2019 Book of the month, "I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation: Old Testament Stories" by Val D. Greenwood.
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Sam Ibeh
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Re: What's your take on Val D. Greenwood making reference to different religious books?

Post by Sam Ibeh »

Abacus wrote: 03 Aug 2019, 11:07 When you are in an unknown place like a foreign country, and you need directions, or you need to know which train to take. Always ask three different people, and if two say the same thing, that is likely to be the right answer. Long way round to say different sources will eventually support each other or the ones that do not will be discarded. So I am for different sources.
Nice. Your analogy is apt.
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lucia_kizas
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Post by lucia_kizas »

Abacus wrote: 03 Aug 2019, 11:07 When you are in an unknown place like a foreign country, and you need directions, or you need to know which train to take. Always ask three different people, and if two say the same thing, that is likely to be the right answer. Long way round to say different sources will eventually support each other or the ones that do not will be discarded. So I am for different sources.
I like this reference to being in a foreign country. It's true, it is more than easy to venture in the wrong direction if you only rely on one source (however respectful it may be), or more accurately, on how you actually interpret that one source.
I am a historian by education, and what I've learnt in University is to never rely on one solemn source.
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ernest mwangemi
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Post by ernest mwangemi »

Its the best way of explaining the bible as it also shows that the writter was very familiar with the bible even before the writting of the book
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Post by UnicornKnight »

I think it's great to include references to different religious books. It may seem controversial to some but at the end of the day, it pays to have an open mind and hear about different perspectives on God. It also helps that he references the Holy Bible a lot and this allows the readers to always have that to go back to. At the end of the day I like seeing other opinions because it helps me reflect and come up with my own ideas.
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Stephanie Elizabeth
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

I think it is important to reference other books especially if it adds a layer of understanding to readers.
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Melissa Breen
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Post by Melissa Breen »

I think with subjects like this it's important to include many different perspectives and reference materials. I like that he went outside the bible
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María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
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Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

OliviaLouise wrote: 02 Aug 2019, 19:10 I think it’s great. In fact, I would have liked to have seen more references to a variety of other texts. It’s a more modern approach.
I totally agree. Referencing different materials is enriching and shows that the author researched with a more open mind. As long as it's all coherent I believe it's great.
amjohnson13mommy
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Post by amjohnson13mommy »

Not at all! To show he did his research I believe it is important it is shown that more than one book was referenced. But at the same time, the bible is the most authentic source.
amjohnson13
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Kristin Ransome
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Post by Kristin Ransome »

I tend to place greater credibility on a work that references multiple sources over once that focuses on only one. I think the author was right to include more than one.
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Post by Monet_va »

In our times, I think it's fantastic to do as much research as possible to explore different interpretations and views on the same topic. I would have loved to see even more references in this book.
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Ellylion
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Post by Ellylion »

The more references the better, in my opinion :) It helps to understand a given subject more deeply and from different points of view.
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Fazzier
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Post by Fazzier »

I don't have any problem if an author decides to cite other texts so long as his or her work is consolidated by the references.
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Post by angiejack456 »

I appreciate the author's use of multiple sources. It makes it easier to believe and understand if there are more accounts. Like witnesses at a crime scenes, each has a slightly different take on the event. Putting all the accounts together creates a more complete picture.
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Post by allbooked+ »

I think that most books that offer a perspective on religion and the history of what occurred refer to the Bible - but I do agree that going to multiple sources is the most efficient. It is always better to back of your research so that it can be trusted.
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Lisa A Rayburn
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

I think referencing other texts is a positive aspect of the book. I would like to have seen more of it. I find it interesting to see the cross-referencing and/or differences in stated 'facts' that happens in books on similar subjects but having different authors.
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