A few months ago I received a copy of a brand-new survey of the New Testament called Frameworks by Eric Larson. The truest thing I can say is that it is not what I expected. When I say the words “New Testament Survey,” my mind goes immediately to the huge, thick tomes that were required reading in seminary. Because those books were written by academics, they tended to be long, detailed, scholarly, and sometimes very boring.

“Frameworks” is nothing like those thick books that I studied so many years ago. Written by an engineer, “Frameworks” is more like a coffee table book than a textbook. The author used all the latest design aids to make this book eminently readable. You have charts and pictures galore. There is plenty of text, but Eric Larson understands that we learn as much by what we see as by what we read.

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This is a lively, fun book that imparts knowledge without making it feel like you are sitting a classroom. I highly recommend Frameworks to anyone who wants to understand the “big picture” of the New Testament. At 372 pages, it’s not a small book, but it’s not heavy either. It clearly was designed with today’s readers in mind. 

We all want to know the Bible better, and I think Frameworks will do exactly what the title suggests. You will understand both the parts and the big picture of the Greatest Story Ever Told. Check it out and see for yourself.