The Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies

Download or read book The Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies written by Michael C. Legaspi and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-04-19 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies examines the creation of the academic Bible. Beginning with the fragmentation of biblical interpretation in the centuries after the Reformation, Michael Legaspi shows how the weakening of scriptural authority in the Western churches altered the role of biblical interpretation. Focusing on renowned German scholar Johann David Michaelis (1717-1791), Legaspi explores the ways in which critics reconceived the role of the Bible. This book offers a new account of the origins of biblical studies, illuminating the relation of the Bible to churchly readers, theological interpreters, academic critics, and people in between. It explains why, in an age of religious resurgence, modern biblical criticism may no longer be in a position to serve as the Bible's disciplinary gatekeeper.