Books: The Year of Living Biblically

I read this for the Book a Month Challenge. This month's theme was time and hey, it was already in my library pile.

Why is it that some Christians out there make a big deal about following God's laws, yet ignore some of them that might be outdated or impractical in today's world? A J Jacobs wants to find that answer. He sets out with the proverbial stack of bibles- there's a picture in the book and he says the stack is knee high- and makes a huge list of everything the bible says you should and shouldn't do and then sets out to spend the year following them. He quickly comes to realize that following 700+ rules all at once is maddening, so he focuses on some and dedicates specific time examining others. He also divides the year up and spends the first portion following old testament laws and the new testament later in the year. Along the way he makes field trips to places like the Holy Land or the creation museum, or even to sacrifice a chicken. While he doesn't become a religious person by the end of the year, he does end up with a greater understanding of what's out there and why people make some of their religious choices.

I really liked this book. It was interesting to read about his "stranger in a strange land" style experiences. Some of the stories made you laugh, like his interactions with his wife when she was menstruating and he had to declare her unclean, or think, when he examined how often he lied or coveted things. The stories he told about the people he met on his journey, like the Amish man in Lancaster, PA with the strange sense of humor, or his interactions with the Hebrew fiber tester, or his ex-uncle in the Holy Land, or his visit to the atheists, which made him realize that religions need a belief in something, otherwise there's just no focus, or the drunken orthodox dancing men, were great insights into other religious worlds. Over all it was a great book.