In the Beginning Was the Image

Price deserves great credit for this lavishly documented study. His various audiences will appreciate different parts of the book. Scholars of the Bible and the history of its consequences will welcome his decentering of the biblical text and the written and oral media usually studied for its interpretation (commentaries, sermons, and theological tracts). * Mark W. Hamilton, Abilene Christian University, TX, John Wiley & Sons *
Comprehensive and Accessible * MARIAN KELSEY, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament *
David Price's In the Beginning Was the Image is a smart, beautifully written, and methodologically sensitive contribution to Reformation scholarship. * Jeffrey Chipps Smith, University of Texas, Church History Journal *
Superbly illustrated and clearly written, In the Beginning Was the Image is a landmark study. * CHOICE *
It is most unusual to find, in one and the same book, sensitive and learned art history, profound knowledge of biblical scholarship, and a nuanced understanding of the Reformation era. Yet that is what David Price presents here. He knows Cranach, Dürer, and Holbein like few other scholars: yet his awareness of how these figures interacted with their contexts makes this book a special joy to read. * Euan K Cameron, Union Theological Seminary *
David Price's new study is a tremendous achievement, offering new perspectives and radical differentiations that will change our understanding of this complex and much-studied period. Although the Renaissance is associated with the rediscovery of classical (pagan) culture, this groundbreaking new book shows — through theoretically profound and enlightening analyses of major works of art — the transformative role played by biblical philology inÂthe Renaissance and Reformation. * Dr. Anne-Marie Bonnet, Institute of Art History, Friedrichs-Wilhelm-Universität *
Indeed, this subtle analysis of word and image in Reformation-era German art does truly center on, and thoughtfully elucidates, the major printed biblical art by these principal masters. Price, already the author ofÂAlbrecht Dürer's Renaissance, has now added Lucas Cranach and Hans Holbein to his repertoire in this book, which will become a touchstone for both scholars and laity alike. * Larry Silver, Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania *
The book is charmingly designed,... The clear writing and convincing argumentation make it perfect for Reformation and Renaissance syllabi as well as an aid to future scholarship. * Jennifer Nelson, Renaissance Quarterly *
Price's book is easy to read and accessible to those who are interested in the evolution of biblical art during the Protestant Reformation. * Nicola E. Hayward, Review of Biblical Literature *
Price's study of the importance of the visual arts for promoting the Protestant imagination, culture, and society deserves attention. With the creation of the printing press, the print movement proliferated along with the biblical text and the graphic arts. * Nicola E. Hayward, Society of Biblical Literature *