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The Cambridge History of the Bible #1
The Cambridge History of the Bible, Volume 1: From the Beginnings to Jerome
Volume 1 of The Cambridge History of the Bible concerns the earliest period down to Jerome and takes as its central theme the process by which the books of both Testaments came into being and emerged as a canon of scripture, and the use of canonical writings in the early church.
688 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 25, 2011
Over the past several decades, The Cambridge History of the Bible (CHB) has become a standard to which students of this subject may turn. With each individual chapter section written by an authority on the topic, they present excellent overviews of the necessary issues and scholarship. Although sections do sometimes overlap in their discussions, the topics are well set out, and the writers do well to highlight the most important trends necessary for an understanding of the Bible and its role in Western society.
Of special importance is the ways in which the authors deal with nuances of scholarship--presenting not only commendable overviews but also offering details that move the reader between general and specific aspects of each subject. Furthermore, when necessary to temper still open questions, no notion is presented as free from the problems surrounding it. Thus, movement is made between the various ways of seeing: both in the history of the period under discussion and in the scholarship surrounding it.
There are numerous examples in this volume, but for this review I offer only one most relevant to my interests. In discussing New Testament canon and canonization, R. M. Grant emphasizes that "the development of the Canon and the development of Christian theology were closely interrelated, and supported one another" (285), and traces these threads throughout. Moreover, he stresses the multiple "Christianities" present in the early centuries, and the problems surrounding questions of "orthodoxy" arising in the second century. Although only brief discussion is made of apocryphal materials--and most emphasis is laid on gnostic texts--these are traditions worth a place in the history, as they are given by Grant. As he observes, this is the case because "The question of the formation of a canon was closely related to the question of defining Christianity itself"; and "One might say that 'Bible' and 'Church' grew up together" (299)--with apocrypha at the heart of these developments, however far they seem to have been pushed to the margins at various times and by various writers.
Given the dates of this work, however (published 1970), the CHB also does not take account of major turns in scholarship over the past 40 years. While many of the central subjects remain largely unchanged, there are also breakthroughs in the field that are worthy of consideration. There is, of course, room for revision, and the hope that one may be in the works in the near future. In the meantime, the CHB will remain a standard work to refer to in matters related to the role of the Bible from its inception onward.
Of special importance is the ways in which the authors deal with nuances of scholarship--presenting not only commendable overviews but also offering details that move the reader between general and specific aspects of each subject. Furthermore, when necessary to temper still open questions, no notion is presented as free from the problems surrounding it. Thus, movement is made between the various ways of seeing: both in the history of the period under discussion and in the scholarship surrounding it.
There are numerous examples in this volume, but for this review I offer only one most relevant to my interests. In discussing New Testament canon and canonization, R. M. Grant emphasizes that "the development of the Canon and the development of Christian theology were closely interrelated, and supported one another" (285), and traces these threads throughout. Moreover, he stresses the multiple "Christianities" present in the early centuries, and the problems surrounding questions of "orthodoxy" arising in the second century. Although only brief discussion is made of apocryphal materials--and most emphasis is laid on gnostic texts--these are traditions worth a place in the history, as they are given by Grant. As he observes, this is the case because "The question of the formation of a canon was closely related to the question of defining Christianity itself"; and "One might say that 'Bible' and 'Church' grew up together" (299)--with apocrypha at the heart of these developments, however far they seem to have been pushed to the margins at various times and by various writers.
Given the dates of this work, however (published 1970), the CHB also does not take account of major turns in scholarship over the past 40 years. While many of the central subjects remain largely unchanged, there are also breakthroughs in the field that are worthy of consideration. There is, of course, room for revision, and the hope that one may be in the works in the near future. In the meantime, the CHB will remain a standard work to refer to in matters related to the role of the Bible from its inception onward.
May 14, 2015
While the triumph of the Counter-reformation and German theology is written all over this book it is a wealth of information regarding the history of the Bible. Having studied the former things I mentioned as thoroughly as I can affords me the ability to discern when I see the influence of unbelief in Biblical scholarship. There are many valuable references in this book and I think it is essential to study this if you are an avid student of the transmission of Biblical texts through the ages. One example of the many things enlightening me about mainstream Christian scholars' beliefs in the past is the observation on page 547 that Augustine of Hippo, like so many modern Bible translators, did not view the words of the Bible as important as the message it carried. This shows that there has been of long age this strain of Christian heresy that discounted God's objective statements for the subjective opinions of "brilliant and spiritual" minds.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews