“Recently, I was reading through the stories about Joseph in Genesis with a group of adults.  One of the members asked if Joseph was related to Abraham and quickly another group member said he was not.  I gently corrected her and seizing a teachable moment, I invited the group to trace the lineage between Abraham and Joseph and discovered most could not.  What occurred to me was that while these adults, most of whom had been born and raised in the church, could tell stories about particular individuals in the Bible, they did not have an understanding of the overall story of the Bible and how the particular individuals related to one another.  They needed Professor Mayfield’s Guide to Bible Basics.  This is a treasure.  It is no secret that many church members feel inadequate about their knowledge of the Bible.  The truth is that many pastors feel the same way.  In a remarkably accessible style, Professor Mayfield gives the reader a cogent overview of the whole of scripture as well as each individual book.  Through the careful work of the author, the reader gains a foundational and functional grasp of the Bible so that one may engage the scripture with confidence and hope!”

—Rev. Rev. Rodger Nishioka, Ph.D., Senior Associate Pastor, Village Presbyterian Church, Prairie Village, Kansas

 “Everyone knows that the church in our culture faces a dreadful growth in biblical illiteracy wherein allusions to the Bible go increasingly unrecognized. Tyler Mayfield has written a terrific antidote to that illiteracy. His book-by-book, chapter-by-chapter introduction to the Bible provides easy access for fresh learning. With a generous use of charts, maps, outlines, and prompt questions his book is user-friendly and pedagogically effective. I anticipate wide use of this book in congregation that “want more Bible” and aim to advance biblical literacy that will in turn eventuate in a more knowing church.”

— Walter Brueggemann, William Mar