Scripture and Scholarship in Early Modern England

’Altogether this book offers a fascinating [...] glimpse of how the Bible was being read in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England, and of how it was understood as a text and a spiritual guide. These essays will contribute to a better understanding of the ways in which textual criticism, interpretation, and faith influence each other.’ Journal of Theological Studies ’Many fascinating details of early-modern biblical interpretation are touched in this collection.’ International Review of Biblical Studies ’This is, in sum, an old-fashioned book: learned, intellectually wide-ranging, elucidating, challenging and worth reading. It restores one's faith in scholarship.’ Ecclesiastical History ’Throughout the authors, emphasizing the 'shared dialog' between the radical and the mainstream, succeed brilliantly at their task in this splendid, original book.’ Anglican and Episcopal History ’... valuable collection of essays... The essayists demonstrate how vibrant the critical study of the Bible was in the so-called pre-critical era, and have made a significant contribution to the history of biblical interpretation.’ Journal for the Study of the Old Testament ’This much-needed collection of essays fills a gap. ... The volume succeeds on several fronts. [...] it focuses the reader on issues that cross literary linguistic, art historical, intellectual historical, and other boundaries... the book remains one that should be on the shelf of everyone interested in early modern England.’ Sixteenth Century Journal '... Scripture and Scholarship is an impressive, and impressively consistent, collection. All of the essays, without exception, are subtle and learned; they not only recreate long forgotten debates, explaining why disputes over texts and manuscripts were of such significance, but these disputes are also effectively contextualized, revealing clearly why biblical scholarship was at the forefront of scholarly life in the early modern perio