Amazon.com: An American Bible: A History of the Good Book in the United States, 1777-1880: Paul Gutjahr: Books

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
The decline of the Bible's prominent role in U.S. thought and culture is sometimes attributed to the influence of German biblical criticism on American scholars in the late 19th century. While Gutjahr (English and American studies, Indiana Univ.) doesn't deny the impact of such criticism, he finds "the roots of the Bible's deteriorating presence" earlierAin the Bible's place in the United States's young publishing industry. The proliferation of Bible editions, packagings, and translations served to undermine the Bible's uniqueness, and the availability of Protestant and Catholic versions led to conflict over the use of the Bible in public schools. Furthermore, as the publishing industry grew, the Bible faced increasing competition for readers. Gutjahr provides a fascinating look into a neglected area of U.S. cultural history. Unlike some books that begin life as doctoral dissertations, this one is quite readable and engaging and should be in academic and public libraries.ACraig W. Beard, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“A fascinating journey through the history of the Bible in America, unprecedented in its scope, erudition, and imagination.”—Jon Butler, Yale University

“This pathbreaking study of the production of Bibles in the early history of the United States is a splendid effort in every way.”—Mark A. Noll, Wheaton College

“An American Bible is an extremely compelling piece of cultural history that succeeds in making rich rather than schematic sense of the major dramas that lay behind the production of over 1,700 different American editions of the Bible in the century after the American Revolution. Gutjahr’s book is especially powerful in demonstrating how nineteenth-century efforts to purge the Bible of textual and translational impurities in search of an ‘authentic’ text led ironically to the emergence of entirely new gospels like the Book of Mormon and the massive fictionalized literature dealing with the life of Christ.”—Jay Fliegelman, Stanford University

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Let us talk of fear: fear born of despair, disgust, and a deep sense of urgency. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
bible production, bible market, bible editions, copperplate illustrations, quarto bible, producing bibles, bible publishing, religious fiction, stereotype plates, religious novels, standing type, parochial education, bible illustrations, bible society

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
American Bible Society, United States, New Testament, King James Version, New York, Illuminated Bible, Mathew Carey, Scottish Common Sense, Gospel Luke, General Supply, Revised Version, American Protestants, Civil War, Holy Scriptures, The Book of Mormon, Old Testament, Isaiah Thomas, Middle East, North America, Indiana University, The Prince, American Protestantism, Catholic Church, Courtesy of the Lilly Library, Public School Society

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