How the Bible Begins: A Sociological Study - Paperback

by John R. Heapes (Author)

How the Bible Begins: A Sociological Study uses a Dramaturgical Approach, borrowed from Erving Goffman. This theatrical metaphor has readers imagining society like a play in five acts: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The curtain goes up in Genesis to an empty, dark stage that, shortly afterwards, has its first performers appear--Adam, and then Eve. The foundation of this book rests on six fundamental questions which are answered within its pages: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Readers learn how many people populate each biblical book, each book's theme, when events took place, where action happened, what each book's purpose was, and how each book was composed. These books chronicled the passage of travelers who first departed Mesopotamia in search of the promised land, and later they left Egypt after four hundred years of slavery. Guided by God, these people formed a nation out of these epic journeys.

Author Biography

John R. Heapes earned graduate degrees in sociology and social work and is a professor emeritus at HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College. His previous publication, Other Worlds: UFOs, Aliens, and the Afterlife, has been received by a broad audience. Heapes and his wife, Sheila, live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.