The Jackdaw and The Peacock Biblical Mistranslations and Christian Traditions William A. Opel

Bill Opel presents the reader with specific biblical stories or myths and then goes back to the linguistic and cultural roots of the story to show how it was crafted to suit the purposes of the creator of the story. He then shows how these stories have been mistakenly understood over the years and how they have become stumbling blocks in our religious life. He writes for the interested lay person, not an academic audience, and presents a personal trip through our Christian heritage.

William A. (Bill) Opel is a retired Episcopal priest and an avowed secular humanist. He has served in places as disparate as Berlin, NH, Chevy Chase, MD, London, and Florence. He started an Episcopal parish in McLean, VA in 1961 and for eight years was rector of St. John’s Church, King George Parish (founded in 1692) in Fort Washington, MD. Opel served in a staff position in Ghana and Botswana in the Peace Corps for almost four years, while maintain a twenty-seven year chaplaincy in the U.S. Navy Reserve. More a rabbi than a priest, he has always enjoyed teaching biblically based courses in local schools, parishes, and libraries.