Rebecca Williamson

From Literal to Literary is a resource for those who enjoy learning more about the Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, or other origins of biblical words, and how they have been translated into English. It is the type of book that explains the different words for love and where each appears in the Old and New Testament, allowing the Bible reader to explore how a slightly different translation might change one's understanding of the underlying text.

In the book's introduction, Adams explains that some people find it easier to "peek into the realm of God" through metaphors, poetry, and myth. "In my opinion, Christians who can't cope with metaphors have done their best, perhaps unintentionally, to spoil the faith for the rest of us. Part of progressive Christianity's task is to reclaim the classic metaphors for what they are: figures of speech that inspired beautiful narratives. To name a few: Son of God, Resurrection of the Dead, Body of Christ, and Kingdom of Heaven." (page 9) This quote illustrates the fact that Adams is coming from a particular theological position within the current church debates and the book reflects this. Readers who prefer a more "orthodox" reading of the Bible will not be happy with many of his explanations of biblical metaphors. This book requires a willingness to look beyond the words on the page in the Bible.

For those readers who do find it fascinating to explore the Bible for hidden meanings, new twists, and new imagery, this book is very useful. It is arranged in dictionary fashion with a word, a definition and then several examples taken from both the Old and New Testaments. For example, the entry for the word "baptize" notes that the Greek root is "dip into fluid". That adds an interesting twist to the references to Jesus dipping bread into wine before giving it to Judas, for example. The entry goes on to incorporate ritual washing and finally what we would recognize as "baptism" in the modern usage.

Adams closes his introduction by saying, "The beauty of returning to the original metaphorical language is that this approach opens up the wisdom of the ancients to twenty-first century readers who may not be of a theist or a supernaturalist persuasion. Thinking people who have been educated in the natural sciences can approach the Bible and Christian tradition without compromising their intellectual integrity. When biblical language is understood primarily as metaphor, the insights of the scriptures are revealed to the skeptic as well as the conventional Christian, to believer and doubter alike." (page 11)