Apocrypha Now MP3 CD – Audiobook, 20 Sept. 2016

Our Son read God Is Disappointed in You but he was not disappointed with this sequel.

I homeschooled my kids. Not for religious reasons. We are not churchgoers. As the years went by, I managed to instill some basic Bible literacy in my eldest. But my youngest dug in her heels and refused to be exposed to what she saw as propaganda. She knew nothing beyond the most basic stories every very young child learns (Adam and Eve, Noah, Jesus) - and she aimed to keep it that way.Fast forward to my youngest’s second year of college … and she decided to pursue a Religion major! She had been so enthralled by courses like Japanese Religions, Buddhist Meditation, and Religion in Popular Culture (South Park! Handmaid’s Tale! The Walking Dead!) that she changed her major; largely, these courses spoke to her love of Mythology. I had her home for the summer, and I put my maternal foot down: If she was going to major in Religion (albeit with an emphasis on Eastern Religions), she was going to have to learn some basic Bible literacy. One last protest, and I pointed out that if her knowledge gap in her beloved Greek Mythology were as enormous as her gap in Bible knowledge, I’d be aiming to fill that, too. There are some things you have just got to know to be a literate member of our society, let alone a Religion major!How to impart Bible literacy to someone who saw the Bible as propaganda was the challenge. I started her on The Lego Bible, an incredibly irreverent take on the Bible tales created by an atheist. (I just had to research the author after seeing all the little Lego skeletons that were on the ground when Noah opened the Ark.) That was a fun read for her.Then I spotted the book God is Disappointed in You and its companion volume Apocrypha Now. She tore through both of the books and pronounced them to be even better than the Lego books - and that’s really saying something. And by “better” she means funnier.Apocrypha Now is a collection of “work from a variety of sources, including the Jewish Midrash, the Apocrypha, the Talmud, and the Gnostic Gospels.” It is by no means comprehensive.After she read Apocrypha Now, a book I have yet to read, my rebellious daughter ended up knowing more about these books that did not make the cut to be included in the Bible than the rest of us did. Total win!BONUS FEATURE - The relevant part of my review of God is Disappointed in You:In the Preface, the author of God is Disappointed in You states that he does not have a biased agenda:“It is not my intention to mock the Bible with this book, nor to endorse it, but merely to present it on its own terms in a way that is accessible and which relays the same sense of fascination I had when I truly discovered the Bible for the first time."The first time I randomly cracked open the book, the very first words I read were:“When the Pharaoh saw all these Israelites living in Egypt, he thought, “Holy s**t! We’ve got an illegal alien problem.”And just like that I knew the book was for me. Obviously, it also turned out to be for my daughter!A word of caution: While this book will provide you with a tremendous overview of the Bible, it would be best to supplement your knowledge with other sources. For example, immediately following the above quote, the book states that Moses’s mother put him into that well-known basket because she did not want him to be a slave; it is my understanding that she put him into the basket because she did not want him to be killed. The plagues are reduced from 10 to 4 (and uncounted). The retelling is hip and modern. It is best to consider this an entertaining overview, not a comprehensive retelling.

A few times, I laughed out loud -really! It's a bit like a humorous intro and "Cliff Notes" to the Apocrypha, Jewish writings and alternate Gospels. The official versions of those books are some I would never have read. But after Russell's & Wheeler's send-up version, I have looked into the real versions to compare. This book, along with "God is Disappointed in You" have an honored space on my book shelf next to my standard versions of the Bible.

Not what I expected not Christian it was funny a little crude language issue

Very funny and breezy take on Biblical information. Will offend people who take religious documents as the infallible word of God.

I enjoyed God Is Disappointed in You and appreciate the sequel just as much. The author & illustrator manage to keep a light tone while adhering to scriptural accuracy with respect.

Great book ! Short,sweet and to the point ! The narrator does an excellent job and is funny as all heaven .

I have this on Audio and Kindle. This is an enjoyable listen for commuting. I learned a lot and appreciated the sarcasm.

Great book

It was a great book and arrived just as promised