The Bible: A Biography (Books That Changed the World) - Hardcover

Armstrong, Karen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0871139693 ISBN 13: 9780871139696

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2007

Synopsis

As the work at the heart of Christianity, the Bible is the spiritual guide for one out of every three people in the world. It is also the world’s most widely distributed book, translated into over two thousand languages, and the world’s best selling book, year after year. But the Bible is a complex work with a complicated and obscure history. Made up of sixty-six books” written by various authors and divided into two testaments, its contents have changed over the centuries. The Bible has been transformed by translation and, through interpretation, has developed manifold meanings to various religions, denominations, and sects. In this seminal account, acclaimed historian Karen Armstrong discusses the conception, gestation, and life of history’s most powerful book. Armstrong analyzes the social and political situation in which oral history turned into written scripture, how this all-pervasive scripture was collected into one work, and how it became accepted as Christianity’s sacred text. She explores how scripture came to be read for information, and how, in the nineteenth century, historical criticism of the Bible caused greater fear than Darwinism. This is a brilliant, captivating book, crucial in an age of declining faith and rising fundamentalism.

About this title

About the Author:

Karen Armstrong is the author of numerous books on religious affairs, including Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions and The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism.

From AudioFile:

This latest installment in the Books That Changed the World series portrays the BIBLE as a living organism, examining its development over the centuries and demonstrating how Christian, Jewish, and secular influences are interwoven into the various versions. While the author's reputation for scholarship is evident, this particular effort does not translate well to audio despite Josephine Bailey's competence. Bailey skillfully keeps the text moving, easily handling historical terms and names, but it still sounds like one is listening to a laundry list of names and dates. Perhaps multiple listens might help--as much of the terminology is most likely unfamiliar to the average listener, who would have a far easier experience taking in the information in print. M.H.N. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0871139693
• ISBN 13: 9780871139696
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192