Politicizing the Bible : the roots of historical criticism and the secularization of Scripture, 1300-1700 / Scott W. Hahn, and Benjamin Wiker.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hahn, Scott, author.

Wiker, Benjamin, 1960- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible--Criticism, interpretation, etc--History.

Bible.

History.

Bible--Hermeneutics.

Hermeneutics.

Bible and politics.

Physical Description:

viii, 611 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Crossroad Publishing Company, 2013.

Summary:

Resisting the typical, dry methods of contemporary scholarship, this powerful examination revisits the biblical days of life-and-death conflict, struggles for power between popes and kings, and secret alliances of intellectuals united by a desire to pit worldly goals against the spiritual priorities of the church. This account looks beyond the pretense of neutrality and objectivity often found in secular study, and brings to light the appropriation of scripture by politically motivated interpreters. Questioning the techniques taken for granted at divinity schools worldwide, their origins are traced to the writings of Machiavelli and Marsilio of Padua, the political projects of Henry VIII, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke, and the quest for an empire of science on the part of Descartes and Spinoza. Intellectual and inspiring, an argument is made for bringing Christianity back to biblical literacy.

Contents:

Getting to the roots of the histiorical-critical method

First cracks of secularization: Marsillius of Padua and William of Ockham

John Wycliffe

Machiavelli

Luther and the Reformation

England and Henry VIII

Decartes and the secular cosmos

Thomas Hobbes

Spinoza and the beginning of the radical enlightenment

The ambiguous Richard Simon

The English civil wars, moderate radicals, and John Locke

Revolution, radicals, republicans, and John Toland.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 567-592) and index.

ISBN:

9780824599034

0824599039

OCLC:

823221027