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Reading the Bible as Great Literature: The Book of Jonah (Lecture One) (Patreon)

Published:
2022-03-24 12:48:08
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Today we begin a new line of lectures in which we will appreciate the Bible as Great Literature.

You may find it illuminating to run this series alongside your reading of great writers like Shakespeare, Melville, Dostoyevsky, Victor Hugo, Emily Dickinson, and Cormac McCarthy.

Our first lecture focuses on the short story that is the Book of Jonah.

We are reading from the King James Version of the Bible, which, like the Geneva Bible, offers us some of the most sublime and influential prose poetry ever committed to the page. But, of course, feel free to use whatever version you favour.

Do let us know your thoughts on our new series, and anything that resonates with you from the story of Jonah in the belly of the great fish.

Lecture Timestamps:

  • 0:00 why read the Book of Jonah?
  • 1:40 how Jonah defied the Lord 
  • 4:00 fleeing to Tarshish 
  • 5:00 the value of metaphors
  • 7:00 your belly of the whale
  • 9:00 journeys within journeys
  • 12:00 sleeping through the storm
  • 14:00 Jonah thrown overboard
  • 15:00 Jonah is swallowed up
  • 16:00 descent, lament, and Sheol  
  • 17:00 Jonah's in the belly of the fish
  • 18:30 vomited onto the land 
  • 19:00 are you swallowed up right now?
  • 20:00 your three days and nights
  • 21:00 the meaning of being swallowed
  • 23:00 when we are vomited up
  • 25:00 Jonah goes to Nineveh 
  • 27:00 Jonah, Jesus, and our cross 
  • 28:40 the wicked city repents 
  • 30:00 repentance and atonement
  • 31:30 Jonah becomes angry 
  • 32:30 regretting our repentance 
  • 33:00 the injustice of mercy
  • 34:00 Jonah wants to die 
  • 35:00 Jonah and the gourd 
  • 37:00 the lesson of the story
  • 38:00 the blessing of Jonah

Questions to Consider:

1) When was the last time you were swallowed up by a great fish? Were you fleeing from something? And how did you feel when you reemerged? 

2) Does the Book of Jonah help unlock any Great Books for you? And why did Herman Melville allude to this work in Moby Dick?

3) As we're reading this wisdom literature in much the same way as how we read great poetry, are there any passages you find yourself savouring?

Happy reading, Shipmates!

Files

Previews only

Reading the Bible as Great Literature: The Book of Jonah (Lecture One)

0:00 why read the Book of Jonah? 1:40 how Jonah defied the Lord 4:00 fleeing to Tarshish 5:00 the value of metaphors 7:00 your belly of the whale 9:00 journeys within journeys 12:00 sleeping through the storm 14:00 Jonah thrown overboard 15:00 Jonah is swallowed up 16:00 descent, lament, and Sheol 17:00 Jonah's in the belly of the fish 18:30 vomited onto the land 19:00 are you swallowed up right now? 20:00 your three days and nights 21:00 the meaning of being swallowed 23:00 when we are vomited up 25:00 Jonah goes to Nineveh 27:00 Jonah, Jesus, and our cross 28:40 the wicked city repents 30:00 repentance and atonement 31:30 Jonah becomes angry 32:30 regretting our repentance 33:00 the injustice of mercy 34:00 Jonah wants to die 35:00 Jonah and the gourd 37:00 the lesson of the story 38:00 the blessing of Jonah

Comments

Robert Cioffi

Thanks Ben for your life-changing work I’m really loving reading several great books at the same time with your guidance on how to read the tributaries like these

R.R. Scott

A mind-blowing lecture, Ben! The way you read and express the meanings behind each verse is counter to some of the biblical verse exposure I've had in life. I was not brought up religious, but I've always had a fascination with the Bible as a source of history and thematic meaning. You beautifully brought out the themes of Jonah and made it impossible not to relate them to every day life and experiences. Too many people, I've often experienced, throw out a Bible verse of the sake of showing some self-superiority because they know a Bible verse; were they to slow down and take the time to teach the meaning of it as you have here, I think that a greater appreciation for the Bible - and other holy scriptures - would exist. It would be seen as less of affront to those who shy away from religions. It's such a valuable learning tool, and one need not subscribe to spirituality - one simply needs to be human - to apply it in a useful way.