Which part of the Bible is most important?

[dmallind]

37. to attempt a serious if disinterested answer...it depends

A) on whom you ask. Jewish groups differ somewhat in details obviously, but will usually focus on the Torah, then the Prophets and Writings. Traditionally many look on the NT much like Terry Pratchett views fan fiction. Christians will give primacy to the NT and especially the gospels (although Paul gives more details theologically because he was writing to instruct nascent churches rather than speaking to new and potential converts like JC). In the early church there was much debate on how much the OT meant to Christians - even on whether to jettison it entirely once the new sect abandoned the idea of keeping the Abrahamic covenant. It was eventually settled on as important for two reasons. It prophesied, tortuously in many cases, the messiahship they saw in Jesus, and it was clearly important to his own teaching. From almost the start, as Christianity became gentile, much of the law and ritual was abandoned as unimportant now the "new covenant" was in place. The OT was always a handy compendium backup though to whatever churches and individual Christians cared about. Fred Phelps et al are nothing new in picking out bits from the Abrahamic covenant that suits them. Urban's Crusades, the Council of Trent moneygrab, Vatican I etc all treat as central issues mere verses from others they abandon as swept away by Christ. Christians generally use the OT like a bad golfer who can't stand losing uses the Rules of Golf.

B) on what you seek. A "best of Beethoven" view of Christianity as originally envisaged? The red letters work You'll miss out on the violin and viola duets or Bagatelles in Acts and Timothy etc but you'll get the gist of the big symphonies and later string quartets. An insight into the early church as it wrestled with growing pains as a stateless sect straddling Judaism, paganism and something different altogether? The letters are best here - and not just Paul's. A fascinating look at how different folk tales of different groups with different priorities, seeking anything from a conquering rebel general to an outré guru, got amalgamated and edited into - sort of - one story? Read the gospels not linearly but episodically. Find what each says about the nativity (if it does) and read and compare only that part. Then read what each says about the early ministry, the crucifixion, the resurrection, etc. If you want to see how paganism became henotheism became monotheism, read the Torah - in Hebrew if you can but with a concordance handy if you can't and in a non-bowdlerized version even so. The KJV really is best for this purpose as the modern versions tend to pretend the tell-tale pagan remnant plurals and strange vocatives aren't really there.

I am assuming mostly though what you want to get at is which part is most important, to Christians, for forming politically applicable opinions. Frankly that too depends on the priorities the Christian themself has. Pat Robertson whatever can be said of him else, knows his scripture well. So did Albert Schweitzer. I think both made perfectly sincere decisions about what the Bible told them and what was important in it.