It is sometimes said that the Bible is one of the most unread books in the world, yet has been a major force in the development of Western culture and continues to exert an enormous influence over many people's lives. This Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the Bible by different communities and cultures and attempts to explain why it has generated such a rich variety of uses and interpretations. It explores how the Bible was written, the development of the canon, the role of Biblical criticism, the appropriation of the Bible in high and popular culture, and its use for political ends.

Note: Find more Very Short Introduction ebooks at www.reftogo.com

Contents

1. The Bible in the modern world: classic or sacred text?; 2. How the Bible was written; 3. The making of the Bible; 4. The Bible in the world of the believers; 5. The Bible and its critics; 6. The Bible in the Post-Colonial world; 7. The Bible in high and popular culture; 8. The Bible in politics; 9. Conclusion; Further reading

Authors, editors, and contributors

John Riches, Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism, University of Glasgow.

Key Features

* Multiple eBook Support

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* New in version 3.0! Automated Reading Mode

Mode for automated reading with options for auto scrolling the text, Screen Wrap reading and Manual text control.

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* Support for Tables

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* One-Tap Lookup in Bible With You and in DEPReader

rheaDER is linked to Bible With You and the DEPReader compatible dictionaries. One-tap lookup of the dictionary definitions and the Bible references available in the text is provided (reference resources from www.RefToGo.com or Bible With You PDA reader are required.)

* Footnotes

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