An American Bible: A History of the Good Book in the United States, 1777-1880 (Paperback)

by Paul Gutjahr (Author) "Let us talk of fear: fear born of despair, disgust, and a deep sense of urgency..." (more)
Key Phrases: bible production, bible market, bible editions, American Bible Society, United States, New Testament (more...)

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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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Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804743398
• ISBN-13: 978-0804743396
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,224,092 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Good Book, June 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: An American Bible: A History of the Good Book in the United States, 1777-1880 (Hardcover)

In his first book "An American Bible", Dr. Paul Gutjahr examines the effects of the changing nineteenth century print marketplace on the "good book." With ample references, both period and contemporary, and many helpful illustrations, "Bible" tracks American Bible production from 1777 until 1880 with an eye toward material conditions (price, binding, production and distribution, use/absence of illustrations and commentary, and forms of presentation). He also considers the effect of such conditions (as well as doctrinal, philological, and apologetic controversies) on the Bible's visibility, authority and popularity in America. Highly readable and informative for readers interested in religion, literacy, or popular culture.