In The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, Esquire Magazine editor at large A.J. Jacobs recounts the year he spent obeying as many Old and New Testament commandments as he could, while interacting, theologically, with creationists in Ohio; atheists, and gay Bible-readers, in Manhattan; snake-handlers in Tennessee; Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn and Israel; and assorted other, colorful characters, on a modern-day pilgrimage, to observe religious observances.

In his year-long "quest" to "follow the Bible as literally as possible," Jacobs, a nominal, but secular, Jew, follows his own, idiosyncratic path to living according to such Biblical commandments as "the ban on wearing clothes made of mixed fibers": Jacobs has his clothes tested, microscopically, for the banned linen-and-wool combination, and learns that his wedding suit probably needs to be "delinened" by a tailor.

While Jacobs, a self-described "reverent agnostic," makes readers laugh, he also makes them think.  He concludes, "I now believe that whether or not there's a God, there is such a thing as sacredness.  Life is sacred…Prayer can be a sacred ritual."

My questions to A.J. Jacobs, and his answers, are below; his web site is www.ajjacobs.com. 

  What are your favorite Biblical commandments, and why?
I love the commandment to observe the Sabbath. I'm a workaholic, addicted to the BlackBerry, so it was a particularly tough one. But the idea of taking a day off without work, to appreciate life -- there's something very profound about that.

How did "living Biblically" change your attitudes toward religion, and toward the religious?
I became much more understanding of religion. I now see how good religion brings out the best in people. (And bad religion brings out the worst.)

What did you learn about the Bible that you found most surprising, and why?
I was surprised by … how relevant much of the Bible is to my daily life. It talks about no coveting, no gossiping, no lying. These are things I struggle with every day -- especially since I live in New York and work as a journalist. I was also surprised by how strange some of the Bible is…. Like in the Old Testament, the rule that says if two men are fighting and the wife of one of the men grabs the private parts of the other man, her hand shall be cut off. (I didn't cut off any hands during my year.)

  What was the funniest thing that happened to you during your year of living Biblically?
Well, I was able to stone one adulterer. It was in Central Park, and he asked me why I was dressed so weirdly (I had my beard and robe and sandals) and I explained I was trying to follow everything in the Bible, from the Ten Commandments to stoning adulterers. And he said, well, I'm an adulterer, are you going to stone me? And I said, "well, that would be great."   I used pebbles, by the way.

In The Year of Living Biblically, you wrote, "I've tried to worship alone… [but] I miss out on the feeling of belonging, which is a key part of religion."  Please explain what you mean.
I think being part of a community is a huge appeal of religion. It's one of my favorite parts. Because I think today we place too much emphasis on the individual and not enough on the community.

What kind of religious education, if any, are you giving your kids?   I'm sending my kids to Jewish school…I thought it'd be good to give them a foundation in religion so they could choose from a place of knowledge.

Religious observance is in decline in America: Newsweek recently ran a cover story touting the "End of Christian America."  Why do you think that is so?
I think it goes back to the decline of community. People are very wrapped up in their own worlds, so community-based activities go by the wayside. And if you do want to join a community, there are so many options. You can join a gym, or go on Facebook. The church and synagogue have a lot of competition.

There is a fierce debate over the role of religion in American public life, and on   vanity license plates: the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit will soon decide a motorist's appeal of the dismissal of his lawsuit challenging Vermont's law prohibiting "vanitized" references to religion or deities.  Vermont officials claim that allowing religion or God on vanity plates would imply that the state endorses  religion, in violation of the First Amendment's prohibition of an official religion.  The Supreme Court has held that the First Amendment's right to freedom of speech applies to vanity plates.  Do you agree or disagree with Vermont's no-religion-or-God on vanity plates rule?
I suppose I'd agree with the freedom of speech argument. I'd say let them have religion and deities on the license plates. The dash in the middle of the plates is perfect for spelling "G-d."

The Year of Living Biblically is frequently laugh-out-loud funny, as is The Know-It-All [Jacobs's previous book, recounting his experiences reading Encyclopedia Brittanica], although both books make readers think, as well as laugh.  What do you think makes a book funny?
Well, you make me commit the sin of pride. Thanks for thinking my books are thought-provoking and funny. I can't say there's a secret formula to funny. Maybe include references to Jazzercise. People seem to think that's funny.

Your next book is entitled, The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment.  What's it about, and when will it be published?
This is a collection of nine different social experiments I tried on myself. Including the time I outsourced my life (I hired a team of people in Bangalore India to live my life for me; they answered my phone and my email and argued with my wife for me).

You're also working on another book, The Healthiest Human Being.  What's that book about, and when will it be published?
That one is a chronicle of my quest to make over my body. I'm going to radically change my diet and exercise regimen and get six pack abs. That'll be out in 2010.

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