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This book revisits familiar Bible stories using poetry and narrative in which, in many cases, the subjects of the stories give firsthand accounts of their experiences. Ribbens supplies a list of thought-provoking questions to accompany many of these stories, especially those taken from the Old Testament scriptures. He includes well-known stories such as the story of creation and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, yet renders them in such a way as to seem modern and fresh. The stories are organized chronologically, beginning with creation and ending with Revelation 22. Each is accompanied by illustrations, some very striking, which enhance each account.
This work is the author's reimagining of these biblical stories. As he purports in the introduction, "When I wrote each of these stories, I was trying to describe what may have happened. I wanted my characters to be authentic." In this endeavor, he has succeeded. Each of his characters speaks with a fresh perspective on an old story. For example, in the tale of Eve, the main character has a modern woman's persona in that she mentions to her children that it was God who invented sex. She delightfully explains how just after being created by God and seeing Adam, she "longed for and loved that man." The author gives readers much to ponder, as well. For example, as a guide to the story of creation, one of the questions included is this: "What challenges and apparent contradictions do you face in your vocation and your church?" Questions such as these are certain to lead to a deeper understanding of challenges to one's own or others' beliefs. Ribbens has created a work that adds much to the discussion of biblical concepts.