The Bible In History: How The Texts Have Shaped The Times

This book examines the symbiotic relationship between Scripture and the social and cultural contexts shaping its interpretation throughout Western history. Biblical texts have not only shaped the times, but the times have also exerted an enormous impact on shaping the interpretation of texts. The book traces how specific biblical texts-verses, chapters, and portions of books-have at various times emerged to be the inspiration of movements that have changed the course of history. Each chapter is shaped roughly like an hourglass; that is, chapters examine the history of a text on either side of a particular episode in which the text undergoes an innovative interpretation. This critical juncture-the next of the hourglass-becomes the primary focus of attention in each chapter. Criteria for the selection of texts include their significance in the history of Christianity, the diversity of traditions and texts, and the interpretive strategies and varied themes that demonstrate a cross section