PDF A Visual History of the English Bible: The Tumultuous Tale of the World's Bestselling Book by Donald L. Brake in History

Review

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. "I walke many times into the pleasant fields of the Holy Scriptures . . . having tasted theire sweetness." - Queen ElizabethBy Clay GarnerThis really is a "visual" history. Drawings; photographs; portraits and nurmerous Bibles fill the pages. A visual delight! Contents -1. Ancient Bibles: The Triumph of Beauty; the Tyranny of Power2. He Dared to Act: John Wycliffe and the Bible in English3. The Man of the Millenium: The Triumph of the Press over the Quill4. He Dared to Take a Stand5. The Fire of Devotion: Then plowman reads the Bible6. A political Pastor Struggles in Exile7. A Royal Court Intrigue8. Theology Influnces Bible Versions9. The Clergy's Version: A Bible Longing for an audience10. The Catholic Church responds11. A Royal Translation12. The King's Bible Revised13. The Source for English Translations14. The Bible in America15. The Bible as Bestseller16. The People TriumphBrake presents this work from ancient to modern. Alfred; Gothic; Book of Kells; Dead Sea scrolls; Bede are all mentioned and deftly connected. Jews and their key role in preserving the Hebrew text is explained; along with other details. Well done.Spends a chapter on Wycliffe and his impact on future translation. "Rejecting the metaphysics of the universities of his day; Wycliffe returned to the principles of the Bible for his authority. He found moral authority in the words of scripture rather than in the cloaks of religious orders." (48) In fact Brake returns to Wycliffe in conclusion.Explains the contrast of Mary and Elizabeth concerning Bible reading. Mary banned the Bible. Elizabeth loved it. "A Bible in the British museum records Queen Elizabeth's words; written in her own hand:'August. I walke many times into the pleasant fields of the Holy Scripture where I plucke up the goodiesome herbed of sentences by pruning: eate them by reading: chawe them by musing: and laie them up at length in the hie seate of memorie by gathering them together: that so having tasted theire sweetness I may the lesse perceave the bitterness of this miserable life.' " (161) Facinating!Concludes with explanation of the different Greek texts and modern English versions. Brake does an outstanding job making this book absorbing; even seductive. Great!One notable feature are his personal stories in finding; bidding; agonizing and paying for rare Bibles. Wonderful! Another unique feature is a eighteen page 'visual' glossary. A real treat. Thirteen pages of footnotes. Seven page bibliography. This book is printed with high quality glossy paper. Really makes all the visual additions stand out.Brake clearly loves the Bible. Anyone can learn why the Bible is so special from this work.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Great addition to your libraryBy rpbInterestingly; most books with predominant visuals are of less value at the scholarly level. While this book is not scholarly in the same way that (for example) Kittel or Keil Delitzsch would be; it is capable of having something to say to even the well-studied scholar.I personally found the images of the ancient writings tracing the development to the King James Version (and beyond) to be enlightening and well selected for variety. Chapter 13; The Source for English Translations--The Battle for a Standard Greek Text is; in my opinion; the best of the bunch; but you will not be disappointed at any of the author's viewpoints; Donald Brake's writing is commanding in style and very readable (dozens of examples could be cited; here).I especially appreciated that; as a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Veep/Dean at Multnomah College/Seminary (Portland); Brake did not labor on ad infinitum with typical Dallas/Multnomah (Calvinistic) theological bias. Every now and then; his theological bias will peek through; but he is scholarly enough to pull it back in for a more balanced treatment of his theme.The well thought out "Visual Glossary" (but not visual enough ;^) is very handy; and the footnotes are quite excellent. The book also contains a Scripture Index (but you will probably be surprised at how few scriptural passages are cited; but remember the theme does not well lend itself to proof-texting); and the Index is very complete. If you are like me; you will really appreciate the Bibliography (but I do wish writers would annotate their Bibliographies; a personal preference for me).You will not be disappointed in this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellence!By Robert TrueloveThis book is a must have for anyone interested in the history of the English Bible. It is well written for a book of its kind and the typesetting and layout are gorgeous. It is also a "well built book" featuring a solid hardback binding and heavy card-stock paper that are sewn and not merely glued. It's such a beautiful and informative book that it is one of those in my library that I refer to as one of my "treasures".This would be a good book for people interested in the history of the English Bible as well as a perfect gift for your pastor or studious Christian friend due to it's artful presentation.