Please critique my Biblical Studies reading list

by MeNotToo

Hi, all.

Over the next four years, I'm going to try to get a solid undergraduate-level understanding of Biblical studies on my own.

I've mostly focused on the Oxford/Cambridge/Routledge/Blackwell literature review surveys, since they give multiple scholars' perspectives, and give some indication of the debates within the field. I was a history and anthropology major (not focused on ancient history, however), and I have a professional degree, so I don't mind reading academic literature.

So far, the list I've assembled so far is:

----THE BIBLE AND NON-CANONICAL TEXTS----

  1. The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies

  2. The Cambridge Companion to the Bible

  3. The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Apocrypha

  4. Oxford Handbook to the Dead Sea Scrolls

----JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY IN ANTIQUITY----

  1. Cambridge Companion to St. Paul

  2. Blackwell Companion to Paul

  3. Routledge Companion to Early Christian Thought

  4. A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism (Eerdmans)

  5. Cambridge Companion to the Talmud

  6. Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies

  7. Oxford Handbook of Jewish Daily Life in Roman Palestine

----THE HISTORICAL JESUS----

  1. The Wiley-Blacwkwell Companion to Jesus

  2. The Cambridge Companion to Jesus

----ANCIENT ISRAEL----

  1. The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of the Levant, c. 8000-322 B.C.E.

  2. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Ancient Israel

  3. Cambridge Companion to the Ancient Near East

  4. The Oxford Handbook of Cuneiform Culture

  5. The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology of the Ancient Near East

Does this seem like a good start for a list to get a well-rounded understanding of the major areas of Biblical studies? Is there anything that I should add or subtract?

(Or am I going about it all wrong?)

Thank you.

talondearg

Personally, I think you're doing it wrong. Just reading a bunch of handbooks won't get you there. It will help, but if you're familiar with academic handbooks you'll realise they are not quite the types of boos you're looking for.

If you want to replicate an undergrad level of knowledge , I would rexommend looking up a few universities or colleges with biblical studies programs. Find ones that have online syllabi with reading lists. Use a few reading lists per subject to compile your own synthesised reading list per subject.

You can also get good quality podcasts from some courses that will cover the typical lecture series for this field.

The reason a reading list built on syllabi is better, is that you will more accurately mirror the sequence of learning in the field, and be more likely to engage with some secondary sources first hand rather than tertiary sources and lit reviews.

Searocksandtrees

Hi OP, you may want to ask at /r/AcademicBiblical too

TheApiary

I know the titles don't sound the most academic, but I actually really recommend the "A Very Short Introduction" series, especially EP Sanders volume on Paul. The Cambridge companion to biblical interpretation is also great.

Once you have a couple of those handbooks on your list, look up some of the authors who wrote chapters and read some of their articles.