The Bible - Hardcover

Miller, Stephen M & Huber, Robert V

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0745950728 ISBN 13: 9780745950723

Publisher: Lion Publishing, 2003

Synopsis

The Bible has had a profound influence on the diverse cultures of Europe and the British Isles, the Americas, Australia and Africa, and has even left an imprint on Asia. It is a book that has inspired the whole range of human emotion and experience, including some of the finest art and literature. And even in this current age, which often considers itself secular and post-Christian, the Bible remains the biggest seller of all books. The Bible: A History does not attempt to help readers grasp the contents of the Bible. Rather, it helps them to understand the vital role the Bible has played in history over the past 2000 years. Areas covered include: How the Bible Came to Be; The Bible in a Rapidly Growing Church; The Book of the Reformation; and The Bible in the Modern World.

About this title

About the Author:

STEPHEN MILLER is a freelance writer with a degree in journalism and a master's degree in religious education. Books he has worked on include The Illustrated Dictionary of Bible Life and Times and The Complete Guide to the Bible. ROBERT HUBER is a freelance writer who has edited and contributed to a number of books, including Jesus and His Times and Who's Who in the Bible.

From Publishers Weekly:

This attractively packaged volume aims to introduce readers to the "remarkable story" of "how the Bible came to be, how it survived, and how it changed the world." Miller (a Protestant) and Huber (a Catholic) present their material topically in two-page spreads containing illustrations and informational text boxes, and make a sincere effort to present an ecumenical narrative using a variety of academic approaches. To their credit, subjects such as modern methods of biblical interpretation, the Bible in movies and other media, and the Bible’s relation to slavery, sexism and abortion are handled in a broadminded way. However, their overall reliance on a faith-based understanding of the Bible’s history (i.e., as the noble struggle to preserve an accurate, authentic version of God’s word against human error and falsification) often leads them to downplay social, economic and political forces. This is most notable in their presentation of missionaries, which ignores the ties between religion and colonialism and only mentions in passing the damage inflicted around the globe as Christianity and European empires expanded side-by-side. Non-Christians (and many Christians) may bristle at the breezy descriptions of good-hearted missionaries bravely carrying God’s word abroad "for the sole purpose of letting others read God’s story for themselves." In addition, the book’s frequent reliance on outdated (and traditionally Protestant) interpretations of church history will likely make some Catholics and Orthodox Christians uneasy. Their portrayal of brave, reform-minded theologians battling the corrupt, monolithic Roman Church is too simplistic even for a general introduction and often rides roughshod over the diversity of Christian beliefs, whether Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant. Nonetheless, Christians—particularly Protestants—looking for an accessible introduction to the composition and transmission of the Bible will find the bulk of this book edifying.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Lion Publishing
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0745950728
• ISBN 13: 9780745950723
• Binding: Hardcover