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Also, the Bible is often taught like that—in a formal way with moral lessons attached—but you miss the fact that this is an incredibly bawdy, hilarious, fun—hellacious, even—text. There's a lot of sarcasm and wordplay and glee and craziness. Sometimes, I think to myself, I can never be as crude as the stuff in Judges. Or, I can never be as sarcastic as Elijah.

So, no, I don't think I'm being too flip. The Bible is flip all the time.

Because Elijah is sarcastic in his dealings with the prophets of Baal, you can be sarcastic in your treatment of the Bible?

There's a notion that the Bible is pure and holy and full of family values. Thous, thees, shalls, shants—that's all there. But what's also there is human behavior at its most base level. Behaviors that are weird and gleeful and strange.

The writing is like that, too. There's no stiffness to it. It's loose and playful. So I feel like the blog should be like that, too. Obviously, I'm making allowances for my own writing, but I think there's license to do that. You misunderstand the book if you think the only way to write about it is in an awed, distant, timid way. It's a book that demands appreciation for all its liveliness.

How have other editors at Slate reacted to the blog?

Slate isn't a religious place. There aren't many people here in Bible studies. Some of the more observant Jews had concerns; they thought I should quote experts. But they've all come around now, and the internal support has been great.

How has reading the Bible changed you?

First, I'm much more aware of how foundational the Bible is for our culture. Many phrases and stories that serve as models for stories today come from the Bible—themes that are the lifeblood of books and movies today. All of a sudden, I see these things, like I'm seeing the world through new glasses.

Second, it has connected me to my historical tradition. The starkest and most delightful moment for me was at the end of Genesis, where Jacob blesses his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh. I realized that when I bless my son, Jacob, I'm saying the same blessing. Before, I never really knew what I was doing, but I did it because I was supposed to. Now, I realize why, and it's amazing.

Third, I've been sort of an agnostic believer. When pressed, I would always say there is no rational reason to believe. In that regard, the Bible has not changed me; I still feel that way. I hope and pray that God exists, but I'm no closer to absolute certainty.

What has changed is that the book has filled me with moral and profound questions that are demanding and confusing. I end up with this very complicated mental dialogue, asking myself, Why is God doing this? It has grown into a sort of conversation with God. Even though I'm not sure God exists, it's a kind of spiritual engagement. I'm grappling with what God is doing. For 37 years, I have avoided these questions. I'm not a profound or inward-looking person. Now I'm suddenly faced with these questions. It has put me into a discussion with God.

Alex Runner is a freelance writer living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Slate's 'Blogging the Bible: What's Really in the Good Book' is the up-to-date collection of Bible blog entries.

David Plotz writes about his experience and what it means to blog the Bible in 'Blogging the Bible: What happens when an ignoramus reads the Good Book?' An MP3 interview is also available.

NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Newsday also covered the Bible Blogger.

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February (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51