Helping to cultivate our wholeness and bring forth the seeds of soul.
Bitten by a Camel
Kent Dobson climbed Mount Sinai in search of the God who had eluded him. Instead he got bitten by a camel.
Dobson was climbing the ladder of Christianity, too: a worship leader, teacher, and ultimately senior pastor of one of the largest and most prominent churches in America. But he was growing disillusioned with the faith, at least inside the shell of organized religion.
One Sunday morning, he preached to his congregation, “I don’t know what the word God even means anymore.” He soon left the church, but his quest for God became more intense than ever.
In Bitten by a Camel, Dobson deconstructs much of what passes as Christianity. Then, engaging with Jesus and the Bible, he reconstructs a faith that is fulfilling, life-giving, and true--true to himself and true to God. Dobson’s message is funny, poignant, and winsome. And it is ultimately, like the message of Jesus himself, hopeful.
Bitten by a Camel
“The thing is, Kent actually has been bitten by a camel. It’s not a metaphor. Even though it is. And that’s the brilliance of this book: Kent has done the hard work of becoming a particular kind of person-honest, open, following the questions wherever they lead. This book comes out of that pursuit-out of kind of life-and it’s really, really inspiring. Kent has been this kind of friend-and teacher-to me for almost 20 years and I’m thrilled that’s captured so much of who he is and where he’s been in this book. And you don’t even have to be bitten by a camel.”
“This is a beautiful, honest, wise and liberating book that reflects the soul of its author. Anyone would enjoy Bitten by a Camel for its pitch-perfect prose and humane honesty, but people from the Evangelical background Kent and I share will find it more than enjoyable. For them, it will feel like a lifeboat after a shipwreck, a cure for a chronic disease, or a path through a forest where you’ve been lost for a long time.”
“Like all the best spiritual memoirs, this book is more about mystery than certainty, more about unknowing than driving stakes into the ground. If you’re in the aching, foggy middle of a spiritual transformation, I think this beautiful book might be good company along the way. I appreciate my friend Kent’s wisdom, bravery and honesty in the pages, and I believe you will, too.”
“If the term “religious experience” is to mean anything at all, it must refer, not to an experience of something, but to an event that transforms how we experience everything. With a subtle blend of honesty, humor and personal insight, Kent Dobson has crafted a work that invites the reader into such an experience. He has wrought lessons from his own life and presented them in a way that will help the reader encounter a new depth and density to life. Revealing a hope and joy that is anything but shallow or one-dimensional.”
"Bitten by a Camel is an honest, thoughtful, unfiltered look at one man’s very human pilgrimage up the mountain of faith, as he encounters doubt, failure and a host of unmet expectations. It’s just as likely to offend you as it is to heal you. I suppose which perspective you take will depend on how much of the mountain you have tumbled down yourself. I found myself laughing aloud at times and tearing up at others as Kent gave words to my own fantastic ride down the “slippery slope”. For those who are tired of hearing how beautiful the emperor’s new clothes are, Kent’s confessional storytelling will leave you feeling less alone, partially sane, and more hopeful for what lies ahead."
NIV First-Century Study Bible
“The NIV First-Century Study Bible is a labor of love. For four years, I had the good fortune of working with a team to produce a unique study Bible. It combines cultural background data, rabbinic interpretations, word studies and occasional insights from the church fathers. The notes and articles invite the reader into a conversation. My hope is that you will hear some new voices around the table of Biblical interpretation and be inspired to read with new eyes the ancient stories in all their richness. It’s currently out of print, but you can still find it used, or under another title. Contact Zondervan if you want to see it back in print.” - Kent Dobson
Understand God’s Word in its Original Cultural Context
Including fascinating articles from Pastor Kent Dobson, unpacking the culture of Bible times, illuminating Scripture passages, and asking thoughtful questions along the way, The NIV First-Century Study Bible is a wonderful way to explore God’s Word in its original Christian context and better understand the historical meaning of Scripture. This NIV study Bible introduces you to an ancient world vastly different from your own, but rich in valuable life lessons. It includes great tools to help answer your questions about life in Bible times and see how the ancient past holds applicable truths for life today.
Kent Dobson is the teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan, where he initially served as the worship director. He has been featured on Biblical programs for the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. Kent fell in love with Biblical studies in Israel and had the privilege of learning from both Jewish and Christian scholars. After his time in Israel, he returned to the States to teach high school religion and Bible before responding to God’s call to the pastorate. Today, he keeps his connection to the Holy Land strong, leading tours to Israel that combine study and prayer, inspired by the ancient discipline of spiritual pilgrimage.
Features:
Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version
Day in the Life articles, describing daily life in Bible times and Addressing the Text articles to help you dive deeper
Word Studies expound upon original Hebrew words
Study notes with writings from early church writers, rabbis, and extra-biblical sources
Supplemental information on topics such as: Abomination that Causes Desolation, Antiochus IV Epiphanies, Conversion, Covenant, Dead Sea Scrolls, Essenes, Desert Law, Diviners in the Ancient World, Intertestamental Times, The Ethics of War, The Shema, Life in the Diaspora, The Greek Lions, The Biblical View on Slavery, Did Moses write the Torah, The Spirit of YHWH, Zealots, Wine Making
Full-color photographs, maps, and diagrams
Book introductions and outlines
9-point type size
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