Building on the enthusiastic reception of and critical acclaim for The Peoples' Bible, hailed as "a rich resource" (Elisabeth Schssler Fiorenza) that "will empower people to reclaim the Bible as a multicultural, dialogical, and living tradition" (Kwok Pui-lan), this colorful and engaging biblical textbook brings those same new perspectives in biblical studies to the college classroom. Highlighting the role of cultures in both the development of the Bible and in its subsequent reception around the world, The Peoples' Companion to the Bible enables students to see how social location has figured in the ways particular peoples have understood the biblical text and helps students formulate their own social location as a key to understanding the Bible and its import for them. The groundbreaking articles from The Peoples' Bible are all here, including "Culture and Identity"; "The Bible as a Text of Cultures" and "The Bible as a Text in Cultures"; "Jesus and Cultures"; "The Bible as an Instrument of Reconciliation"; "The Bible and Empire"; "Women, Culture, and the Bible"; and "Responsible Christian Exegesis of Hebrew Scripture," along with new essays designed for the classroom, including a Bible Reader's Self-Inventory; introductory essays on the Hebrew Bible and New Testament; and an essay on understanding the biblical theme of "the people of God" in a multicultural world.