year+of+living+biblically

= = =__The Year Living Biblically__=

Week 1
Job A: James Job B: Erik Job C: Cory Job D: Sam, Brian

Job B: What makes them interesting? The main character is full of humor and is going to do something that has only been attempted by some humans. What is their story or background? He is a Jewish man who wants to follow the bible step by step, line by line for one year. This is going to be the hardest thing that he is going to attempt in his life. Why are you drawn to them? I want to see if first can he finish what he started and second if he is going to be funny with everything he does throughout the book.

Job C This meeting was an interesting one. We are all excited to read the rest of the book based on what we have read so far. The introduction was sooooooo funny. James was the discussion director. He directed our discussion quite well and didnt let us get tooo far off topic. Next week we are to read 2/5th of the book.

Job D: What religion does the author belong to? How does this impact the way he follows the Bible? The author, A.J. Jacobs, is Jewish. However, he grew up in an extremely secular home, which had an influence in his limited practice of the religion. His plan is to devote most of the year, about eight months, to the Old Testament (the Torah), the holy book of Judaism. He will spend the rest of the year following the New Testament. What day did the author begin his preparations and why? A.J. Jacobs began his journey on July 7, 2005. He admits this date was random and has no significance. What day did the author start his project? The author starts his project on September 1. Is he able to follow the bible completely? No. He is not able to follow the bible completely. Even on the first day, he lies, envies, and did not take a step toward enlightenment, all of which are required by the Bible. How many rules do you think he will break by the end of the year? I think he will break many rules, possibly dozens, scores, or even hundreds. Following the Bible as literally as possible is not an easy thing to do for anybody, including A.J. Jacobs

Week 2

Job A: Sam Job B: Erik Job C: Brian Job D: Cory, James

Job B: This week, we all started to talk about what we thought of the book. Sam and Cory thought it was funny. James said that the book was ok, but he thought that the book could have been worded differently to make it funnier. Brian and I thought that the book was pretty good and had some parts that were funny. The book seemed weird to us that someone would ever want to go and follow the bible for one yar. Sam this week brought in chips and drinks. They were quite tasty.

Job C: Today was the second week of book club for the fourth marking period. Today's objective was to discuss the type of language used by the author. There are many different types of language that one can use, such as conventional or classic. Additionally, it is possible for one to write a story with complex vocabulary that may not be meant for a specified grade level. However, for this book, I feel like the vocabulary is written at a moderate difficulty where we, as ninth graders, are able to comprehend the hidden meanings and other such writing strategies used throughout the book. For this week's discussion, it was Sam's job to bring in food. Everyone in the group enjoyed chips and Snapple that he provided, along with other snacks that were shared with us by other groups. In talking about the book, many of us thought that the book was very funny. In addition, we thought it was very atypical of somebody to follow the bible so meticulously for such an extended period of time. Next week we look forward to learning about more of the author's experiences occurring because of his devotion to the Bible.

Job D: 1. How does the author compare Judaism and Protestantism? 1. The author says that his way of following Judaism is similar because he is interpreting the Holy Book himself. He goes on to say that Catholicism is somewhere between Judaism and Protestantism in terms of biblical interpretation. 2. How many people in the modern world do you think follow the Sabbath? 2. Not many people obey all the laws of Sabbath. According to Judaism, you are not allowed to do any work on the Sabbath, even turning on a light. With modern technology, it makes it very difficult to implement all of the regulations. 3. Do you think it's interesting that the author was able to out-Bible-talk a Jehova's Witness? 3. Yes, it means that he is actually very serious about his religion and his quest. 4. Why do you think the author is so committed to following the Bible singularly? 4. The author says that he's on a solo mission to find the core of the Bible and that he's a lone adventurer who must blaze his own path. 5. How well as the author done through the first 2 months? 5. The author has done exceptionally well. He, for the most part, has followed the Bible as literally as possible, the objective of his quest.

Week 3

Job A: Erik Job B: Brian Job C: Sam Job D: James, Cory

Job B: Without a doubt, the preeminent mood/tone of this book is humor. Although the author is plausibly not trying to be funny, by following the Bible literally, many of his actions are humorous. Furthermore, while describing his actions in his writing, it is obvious that he attempts to make the reading better for the reader by being funny and describing the events in entertaining manners. In a review by Bruce Feiler, author of //Walking the Bible// and //Where God was Born//, Feiler said, "A.J. Jacobs [the author] is so funny eh can make watching his beard grow hilarious." This proves that the book is very entertaining, as do the numerous other reviews that recognize similar features of the book.

Job C: This week in book club we talked about the overriding mood and tone in our book. We decided that the mood was humor. We made much success and talked about how the bible relates to today’s world as well. This week Cory was assigned to bring food. He brought in pretzels and Gatorade for us to snack on while discussing our book. James and Cory came up with questions for our book club and we answered those as well over the course of the period.

Job D: 1. How do you think the author felt when he started his life following the New Testament? 1. It was probably a nervous experience, similar to when he started the quest itself. 2. Why is he so nervous about this new experience? 2. He is already overwhelmed by the complexity of Judaism, and now he's going to venture into even more foreign territory. 3. Why does he insist on doing this? 3. He says that if he doesn't, he'll only be telling half the story (albeit a big half) 4. How does the author treat the issue of following both the New and Old Testament? 4. He decides to follow both as much as possible. 5. As a Jew, how does he treat the divinity of Christ? 5. He decides to visit Christian communities and experience Jesus's teachings firsthand.

Week 4

Job A: Cory Job B: Sam Joc C: James Job D: Brian, Erik

Job B: Although there aren’t many images in the book The Year of Living Biblically, The bible, and The Ten Commandments represent purity and good in the book. Growing up A.J. lived his life in a very secular home and he decided to try to experience the Bible, and find out what’s good in it, and what’s maybe not so relevant to the 21st century. He realized that the bible represents a good lifestyle shown through stories in the past, and The Ten Commandments represents a guideline for people who want to live a pure sinless lifestyle.

Job D: 1. Do you agree with the author when he says the Bible and Wikipedia have a lot in common? Why or why not? In a certain sense, he is right. According to the documentary hypothesis, the Bible has many authors. Wikipedia, similarly, is a combination of contribution by many various people. 2. How well do you think the author has done through the first half of his biblical journey? Has he followed the Bible as meticulously as he planned? The author has done a good job. Although constantly in self-doubt about whether his activities are biblically legal, he has overall followed the bible to the best of his abilities. 3. Why do you think the author's wife, Julie, is so disappointed with having her second and third son, rather than having a daughter? Although we don't know, it is probably just her personal preference of wanting to have a girl. Possibly, also, three boys is to much to handle in an apartment building. 4. Do you think that the author was more in touch with God when he was shepherding in Israel? Should it matter where he is? The author admitted, regrettably, that he was more in touch with God when in Israel. However, he himself said it shouldn't matter, even though it did. 5. How do you feel about the author's revelation regarding God's creation? The author finally realized that, even though he has produced many great things, God has created everything in the world. For someone studying the Bible, it is a very important revelation.

Job C: Today was Week 4 of book club. Today we discussed the themes and images in our book. Considering it is a book concerning the Bible, there are numerous, various themes that are hidden. All of us discovered different themes and images, and we shared them with the other members. Cory brought in food this week. Everybody enjoyed the chips and Snapple he brought in. However, as usual, we were fortunate enough to be given food from other groups. We all had an interesting discussion regarding the themes in the book. We look forward to finishing the book next week

Week 5

Job A: Brian Job B: James Job C: Erik Job D: Sam, Cory

Job B: I would recommend this book to people who are entertained by humorous books. When people read the title they would probably think that it’s about a religious fanatic, but the truth is that it’s all about a normal man exploring religious views through this comedic biography. This has a unique topic that sometimes other authors could ignore. It’s morals mean well and its mood is always bright, which is why it could be a good choice for our school curriculum.

Job D:

1. How does Ralph Blair defend his homosexuality? 1. He claims that the Bible does not oppose homosexuality, rather just states that. The meanings of the statements are interpreted differently by him, making homosexuality okay. 2. Why does the author continuously thank everything in his life. 2. He has developed an obsession with gratefulness and can't stop. He is grateful for everything that God has given him, even the minor and seemingly unimportant things. 3. Do you think it's good that the author keeps a list of his wrongs? 3. No. The Bible says to not keep a record of wrongs. 4. Do you believe that someone (or something) is constantly watching over everybody? 4. Well, if there is a God, He is probably watching over anybody. Perhaps the reward for doing good things is being written down in the Book of Life. 5. Does the author believe in miracles? 5. Well, originally being agnostic, he finds it hard to believe in miracles. However, he tries his best to believe in them.

Job C: Finally we all finished the book. We all agreed it was excellent and humorous. We said that even though the title makes it sound like an orthodox religious book, it is really about an average man exploring different religions. We all liked it much more than we thought we would, even with our high expectations from the beginning. Brian brought in the food this week. We had Chips Ahoy and Cheez-its. Cory dropped the cookies on the floor though and we all had to pick them up. Besides that, the last book club of the year went well. We can only hope we are fortunate enough next year to have something even remotely similar to this