Name: History of the Bible
Brand: LIBRAIRIE COREENNE
SKU: 141079
Price: 67.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

History of the Bible

€67,00

History of the Bible

Description

Book Introduction

“No book has ever presented the life of a biblical figure so captivatingly!”
A literary history of the most influential book in history, written by an Oxford University scholar and Anglican priest.
Paul Roger Duff Cooper Award, [Guardian] Best Book of the Year, [Sunday Times] Book of the Year, [Observer] Book of the Year

A book that has had an absolute influence on Western history and culture, an unrivaled world bestseller and steady seller, a book revered as the most noble scripture of the Jewish and Christian traditions, yet a closer look reveals a book with an ambiguous and unclear identity: the Bible.
From the Hebrew narratives to the Law and Wisdom literature, the Prophets, Poetry and Psalms, the Gospels and Epistles, the diverse genres of writings—by whom and how they were written, how they became canonical, how they were collected, distributed, interpreted, and what influence they had—are all shed new light on the history of the Bible and the faith it presents.

Part 1, Old Testament, examines the history and language of ancient Israel from the 8th century BCE, when the books of the Old Testament began to take shape, to the time of Alexander the Great, when nearly all the books were completed. It also provides a detailed explanation of the unique characteristics and themes of the major genres of the Hebrew Bible: prose narrative, law and wisdom, prophecy, poetry and psalms.
In Part 2, the New Testament, we trace the historical background of the emergence of Christianity in the Jewish world, where various social and religious groups existed, and examine the texts left behind by this new religion, the Epistles and the Gospels, examining the authors, dates of writing, and intended audiences of each book. We emphasize that while there are many theories, we actually know very little about them.
In Part 3, "The Bible and Its Texts," we refute the prevailing belief that various councils held since the 4th century AD determined which books to include and which to exclude from the Bible, while examining the process by which the text of the Bible was transmitted through the hands of scribes.
In 'Part 4: The Meaning of the Bible,' we examine attempts to define the theme or meaning that encompasses the entire Bible, and examine how the hermeneutical traditions of Judaism and Christianity, which have formed separate interpretive systems through mutual influence, have changed through the era of the Rabbis and Church Fathers, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment. We also cover the history of Bible translation and interpretive controversies from the 3rd century BC, when the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, to the present.
In the final conclusion, we reflect on the relationship between the Bible and faith, pointing out that examining the Bible can both enrich faith and bring about trouble.

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index

Into the book

“While the psalmist marvels at God’s care for the human beings He created, Job complains that God’s excessive attention to His creatures is unwelcome.
The theme of discussion throughout the Book of Job is clearly why Job, a sinless and pious man, suffered such extreme illness, was so miserable, and was ridiculed.
Job's friends give answers to these riddles that are in keeping with the general tone of the Proverbs.”
--- p.130

“These two groups operated by drawing a clear boundary marker between the internal members and the outsiders who were not internal members.
The two groups had quite similar attitudes toward the Hebrew Bible, viewing it as predictive of events that occurred in the lives of their respective communities.
Both the Qumran group and the early Christians saw themselves as the true 'Israel,' distinguishing themselves from the majority of Jews who claimed to be the true Israel.”
--- p.279

“Justin’s Dialogue with Trypho tells us that he had gathered together Old Testament texts that Christians could use to refute Judaism and, perhaps even more urgently and importantly, to fight against those within the church who were ‘trying to return to Judaism’—those who took the Old Testament literally.
Some have collected Old Testament texts to argue for a Jewish form of Christianity.
But others, notably Marcion, collected Old Testament texts to show that they were wholly unsuitable as Christian Scripture.”
--- p.477

“Christians came to believe the gospel about Jesus instead of the gospel that Jesus preached.
This aspect was certainly further developed in the time of Irenaeus, whose rule of faith sees Jesus as the content of the Christian message.
In the process, the content of the teachings that Jesus himself presented ended up being devalued.
We know that Irenaeus knew and valued the teachings of the Gospels, but he did not present them as the central foundation of the Christian faith.
He presents the virgin conception, resurrection, ascension of Jesus, and his return at the judgment as things that Christians must believe in.
This brings to mind Paul, who similarly makes virtually no mention of Jesus' teachings, healings, or other miracles, which ultimately leads to the downplaying of much of the Gospel."
--- p.557

“The effect of the intervention could have been very noticeable.
In particular, the spacing of lines often changed the meaning of the text very abruptly from its natural meaning to its 'spiritual' meaning.
“I interpret the texts, especially those in the Old Testament, as spiritual lessons about Christ and the Christian life.” As I have been giving many texts a Christological perspective and reading the parables of the New Testament as allegories, I have often neglected the natural meaning of the texts.
The text became a tool for explaining Christian doctrine, and people were completely unaware that the text itself, separate from the teachings of the church, had its own story to tell, and that in its critiques of the text or of the church's teachings, there existed a critique of the text or of the church's teachings.
--- p.631

“What most Bible translations share, regardless of the language they come from, is that they all have a consistent, unified style.
All the characters in the Old Testament historical books speak in the same way.
The narrative is the same.
Whether it's the Genesis narrative, the Kings narrative, or the Acts narrative, the style is the same.
The King James Version speaks throughout in a language that any English speaker can immediately recognize as 'Biblical English', whereas the NEB's English is more like the English used in modern newspapers.
But just because the book changes doesn't mean the writing style changes.
Because all the text has been translated to sound like modern English.
Only the Jerusalem Bible (and the New King James Version) changes its style to fit each book of the Bible.

--- p.781

Publisher's Review

“No book has ever presented the life of a biblical figure so captivatingly!”
- A literary history of the most influential book in history, written by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest.
- Paul Roger Duff Cooper Award, Guardian Book of the Year, Sunday Times Book of the Year, Observer Book of the Year

Drawing on the scarce evidence available, it traces how the individual books of the Old and New Testaments were written and how they came together to form the distinct canons of Judaism and Christianity.
It also delves into how Jews and Christians have accepted the Bible over the centuries, how they have read and taught it, how they have developed various methods of interpretation, how they have lived according to its teachings, and what processes they have gone through to translate the Bible.
This is a fascinating book that summarizes knowledge about the Bible, but records that knowledge in a coherent narrative.

■ Everything we need to know about the Bible

This book, which is a whopping 988 pages long, is divided into 4 parts and 18 chapters.
The introduction identifies the place and meaning of the Bible in ancient and modern cultures and within religious communities.

Part 1, Old Testament, examines the history and language of ancient Israel from the 8th century BCE, when the books of the Old Testament began to take shape, to the time of Alexander the Great, when nearly all the books were completed. It also provides a detailed explanation of the unique characteristics and themes of the major genres of the Hebrew Bible: prose narrative, law and wisdom, prophecy, poetry and psalms.
In Part 2, the New Testament, we trace the historical background of the emergence of Christianity in the Jewish world, where various social and religious groups existed, and examine the texts left behind by this new religion, the Epistles and the Gospels, examining the authors, dates of writing, and intended audiences of each book. We emphasize that while there are many theories, we actually know very little about them.
In Part 3, "The Bible and Its Texts," we refute the prevailing belief that various councils held since the 4th century AD determined which books to include and which to exclude from the Bible, while examining the process by which the text of the Bible was transmitted through the hands of scribes.
In 'Part 4: The Meaning of the Bible,' we examine attempts to define the theme or meaning that encompasses the entire Bible, and examine how the hermeneutical traditions of Judaism and Christianity, which have formed separate interpretive systems through mutual influence, have changed through the era of the Rabbis and Church Fathers, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment. We also cover the history of Bible translation and interpretive controversies from the 3rd century BC, when the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, to the present.
In the final conclusion, we reflect on the relationship between the Bible and faith, pointing out that examining the Bible can both enrich faith and bring about trouble.

■ About the Bible and the faith it presents

The author emphasizes in the introduction that he did not write this book to prescribe or recommend anything.
This is not a book written to convert readers to Christianity, nor is it a book written to strengthen the faith of believers.
This book details the origins and development of the Bible, and the history of the collection, interpretation, reception, and translation of its books.
The core of the argument that the author meticulously develops in this book is 'the relationship between the two faiths, Christianity and Judaism, and the Bible.'
Some Christians are uncomfortable with the very act of questioning the relationship between the Bible and the Christian faith, viewing it as a challenge to the truth.
Because the Bible is seen as the Christian faith.
However, the author argues that the Jewish and Christian faiths and the Bible are not completely consistent.
While it is true that the Bible is the resource and foundation that keeps both faiths alive, it is also undeniable that the Bible is a product of both faiths.
The author sheds new light on the relationship between the Bible and faith by gradually proving that, just as Christianity and Judaism are founded on the Bible, the Bible itself also depends to some extent on these two faiths.

■ A book for everyone, both the general public and religious people

This book is for the observant Jew, the devout Christian, those who ponder their faith within a humanistic worldview, the general reader who reads the Bible to cultivate academic knowledge, and theologians, pastors, and priests from a wide theological spectrum.
Regardless of religious beliefs, the Bible is the most widely read book in human history, having lasted the longest.
Therefore, the readers of this book are not limited to devout believers.
In fact, the author wrote this book with the general public in mind who wants to better understand the Bible, the crown jewel of world literature.
Even if you don't share the author's views on the relationship between the Bible and Christianity, or between the Bible and Judaism, you will find much helpful and constructive information in this book.
You can follow the author's guidance and read from beginning to end, or you can select and read sections of interest like an encyclopedia, or you can use the references and footnotes to explore various questions in more detail.
Meanwhile, this book is a must-read for Christians who firmly believe that the Bible is an inspired and authoritative book.
I highly recommend reading this book to anyone who is confident that they know everything about the Bible, having memorized or copied the entire Bible.
It provides sincere answers to many questions frequently asked while reading the Bible.

■ A balanced development based on thorough research and deep insight

This book was published in 2019 and was selected as the Guardian's Best Book of the Year, the Sunday Times' Book of the Year, and the Observer's Book of the Year.
He also received the Pol Roger Duff Cooper Prize in 2019, which is awarded annually to the best work of history, biography or political science published in English or French, and was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize in 2020, which promotes and encourages excellence in historical writing for a general audience in the UK.
Numerous readers and critics have praised the book, saying, “A wise and remarkably balanced account of a book that has been a source of both madness and wisdom throughout history.” “The book unfolds with remarkable research, deep insight, balance, and restraint.” “It is a surprisingly accessible book, yet displays an admirable amount of knowledge.” “This book is a fitting gift for the increasingly overtly conservative Korean Christian community and for this era.”

No book has ever presented the life of a saint so captivatingly.

_Christian Science Monitor

Two aspects of Barton's explanation are particularly striking.
One is his erudition, which is immediately apparent to anyone who sees it, and the other is that he conveys that erudition in a restrained and wise manner.
_Guardian

A surprisingly easy read and a book brimming with awe-inspiring knowledge!
_BBC History Magazine

A book that clearly summarizes the vast academic field of 'Biblical History'!
_The Wall Street Journal

A history book that will captivate both scholars and general readers!
_Publisher Weekly

GOODS SPECIFICS

- Date of issue: December 7, 2023

- Format: Hardcover book binding method guide

- Page count, weight, size: 988 pages | 1,322g | 152*225*50mm

- ISBN13: 9791191851816

- ISBN10: 1191851818