Resources for Studying the Bible in Context

Below is my recommended list of non-specialist accessible books, authors, and tools for reading the Bible in context; note that I have not read everything completely, nor does inclusion mean I agree with everything therein. Resources with an asterisk are available from Logos. Things I’d buy first are listed first (a combo of accessibility for non-specialists, price, utility.)

Other more specific recommendations can be found here.

Authors I like (favorites in bold)

Alistair McGrath (history of religion, science), Amy-Jill Levine, Ben Witherington III, Carol Newsom, David Bentley Hart, David Noel Freedman, Jacob Milgrom, James Kugel,  Jon Levenson, John Barton, John Walton, Joseph Fitzmeyer, Karen H. Jobes, Kenton Sparks,  Luke Timothy Johnson, Marc Zvi Brettler, Mark Goodacre, Mark S. Smith, Michael Coogan, Nahum Sarna, NT Wright (AKA Tom Wright), Peter Enns, Robert Alter, Raymond Brown,  Scot McKnight, Richard E. Friedman, Tikva Frymer-Kensky,  Tremper Longman,

Journals

Biblical Archaeology Review (and it’s now-defunct sister-magazine, Bible Review)

Reference Works

Bible Translations (See my page on Latter-day Saints and the Bible)

Study Bibles (include extensive notes, essays, maps, etc.)

Other general resources

Commentaries