The Bible in History How the Texts Have Shaped the Times

by Kling, David W.

• ISBN13: 9780195130089
• ISBN10: 0195130081
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-08-12
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

No one can doubt that the Bible has exerted a tremendous influence on Western civilization since the dawn of Christianity. But few of us have considered the precise nature of that influence in particular historical contexts. In this book, David Kling traces the fascinating story of howspecific biblical texts have at different times emerged to be the inspiration of movements that have changed the course of history. By examining eight such pivotal texts, Kling elucidates the ways in which sacred texts continue to shape our lives as well as our history. Among the passages hediscusses are: * "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18), which inspired the formation of the papacy and has served as its foundation for centuries * "The righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:17), which caught the imagination of Martin Luther and sparked the Protestant Reformation* "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord: Let my people go, so that they may worship me'" (Exodus 8:1), which has played an important and diverse role in African American history from early slave spirituals through the modern civil rights movement and beyond * "There is no longer Jew orGreek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28), which has been adopted by feminists as a rallying cry in the battle for women's ordination Each of the historical episodes he explores--from the beginning ofChristian monasticism to the emergence of Pentecostalism--is evidence of the dynamic interplay between Scripture and the social and cultural context in which it is interpreted. Kling's innovative study of this process shows how sacred texts can give life to social movements, and how powerful socialforces can give new meaning to Scripture.

Author Biography

David W. Kling is professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Miami. He is the author of A Field of Divine Wonders: The New Divinity and Village Revivals in Northwestern Connecticut, 1792-1822 (1993) and co-editor of Jonathan Edwards at Home and Abroad: Historical Memories, Cultural Movements, Global Horizons (2003).

Table of Contents

Introduction,	3	(10)
1. "Follow Me": Anthony and the Rise of Monasticism,	13	(32)
2. "Upon This Rock": Peter and the Papacy,	45	(38)
3. "Let Him Kiss Me with the Kisses of His Mouth!": Bernard and the Song of Songs,	83	(36)
4. "The Righteous Will Live by Faith": Luther's Search for a Gracious God,	119	(38)
5. "Love Your Enemies": Anabaptists and the Peace Tradition,	157	(36)
6. "Let My People Go": Exodus in the African American Experience,	193	(38)
7. "Filled with the Holy Spirit": The Roots of Pentecostalism,	231	(38)
8. "One in Christ Jesus": Women's Ministry and Ordination,	269	(40)
Conclusion,	309	(6)
Notes,	315	(52)
General Index,	367	(18)
Index of Scripture,	385