The Bible in the Early Church

Historical theologian González (The Story of Christianity) examines the earliest forms and uses of the Bible in this brisk and fluidly written chronicle. The author explores how material and cultural factors influenced the text over centuries when literacy was uncommon, books didn’t exist, and manuscripts were painstakingly copied by hand. He covers considerable ground, including the historic relationship of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, the physical materials of early Bibles, the slow evolution of the biblical canon of accepted texts (“It was necessary both to declare some books to be authoritative and to disavow others”), and the use of the Bible in collective worship and private devotional reading. González wears his considerable erudition lightly and shares it with readers all along the way, diving into etymology (the Greek word for broken pottery gave English the word ostracism), the development of biblical verse numbering, and the differences between parchment and papyrus. The result is a short work ideally suited for classrooms, whether in congregations or seminaries, but equally suited to anyone interested in the development of the Bible within the context of Christianity’s earliest days. (Mar.)