Table of Contents

Introduction ; 1. "Follow me": Anthony and the Rise of Monasticism ; 2. "Upon this Rock": Peter and the Papacy ; 3. "Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth": Bernard and the Song of Songs ; 4. "The righteous will live by faith": Luther's Search for a Gracious God ; 5. "Love your enemies": Anabaptists and the Peace Tradition ; 6. "Let my People go": Exodus in the African American Experience ; 7. "Filled with the Holy Spirit": The Roots of Pentecostalism ; 8. "One in Christ Jesus": Women's Ministry and Ordination ; Conclusion

About the Author

David W. Kling is associate 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).

Reviews

"[David W. Kling] has many good stories to tell, and he tells them very well. His informative and often entertaining survey illustrates a fascinating approach to biblical studies and to history in general."--America
"Always fascinating and entertaining, Kling's account of the Bible in history is sure to increase your appreciation and understanding of the Bible's impact in the world."--Singing News
"David Kling has attempted a foolhardy thing--he has tried to illuminate the ubiquitous presence of the Bible in Western history by treating only eight specific texts as they have been understood across the centuries. Remarkably, the book succeeds and succeeds very well. By attending carefully to multiple, often contradictory interpretations of Holy Scripture, Kling explains a very great deal about those who have put the Bible to use. He may explain even more
about the enduring attraction of Scripture itself." --Mark A. Noll, author of Americas God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln
"David Kling has written a fascinating and accessible account of the way in which biblical texts left their mark in the history and culture of the past. The book focuses on crucial moments in Christian history from the origin of monasticism to the ordination of women and on key figures from Bernard of Clairvaux to Martin Luther. The result is a readable and informative introduction to the history of biblical interpretation, which both beginning students and
advanced scholars can read with profit."--David C. Steinmetz, Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of the History of Christianity, The Divinity School, Duke University
"David Kling's book takes the Bible seriously as the church's book at the same time as it shows how the church has interpreted the Bible differently over time. Kling's book will help Christians and others understand how the church's understanding of the Bible has both shaped and been shaped by history."--Timothy Weber, President, Memphis Theological Seminary
"Kling writes so fluently, elegantly, and with such clarity of purpose that readers who are unfamiliar with church history will still find most of the detailed arguments accessible. Similarly, readers who are unfamiliar with scholarly approaches to the Bible will find this an entrancing survey of how key texts have been understood differently across time by faithful Christians. Yet the book is based on such a huge amount of scholarship, marshalled so
carefully by the author, that theologians, church historians, and specialists in biblical studies will also frequently find valuable insights here." --John Sullivan, Liverpool Hope University
"[David W. Kling] has many good stories to tell, and he tells them very well. His informative and often entertaining survey illustrates a fascinating approach to biblical studies and to history in general."--America
"Always fascinating and entertaining, Kling's account of the Bible in history is sure to increase your appreciation and understanding of the Bible's impact in the world."--Singing News
"...erudite but jargon-free, smoothly organized and accessible."--Christian Century
"David Kling has attempted a foolhardy thing--he has tried to illuminate the ubiquitous presence of the Bible in Western history by treating only eight specific texts as they have been understood across the centuries. Remarkably, the book succeeds and succeeds very well. By attending carefully to multiple, often contradictory interpretations of Holy Scripture, Kling explains a very great deal about those who have put the Bible to use. He may explain even more
about the enduring attraction of Scripture itself." --Mark A. Noll, author of Americas God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln
"David Kling has written a fascinating and accessible account of the way in which biblical texts left their mark in the history and culture of the past. The book focuses on crucial moments in Christian history from the origin of monasticism to the ordination of women and on key figures from Bernard of Clairvaux to Martin Luther. The result is a readable and informative introduction to the history of biblical interpretation, which both beginning students and
advanced scholars can read with profit."--David C. Steinmetz, Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of the History of Christianity, The Divinity School, Duke University
"David Kling's book takes the Bible seriously as the church's book at the same time as it shows how the church has interpreted the Bible differently over time. Kling's book will help Christians and others understand how the church's understanding of the Bible has both shaped and been shaped by history."--Timothy Weber, President, Memphis Theological Seminary
"Kling writes so fluently, elegantly, and with such clarity of purpose that readers who are unfamiliar with church history will still find most of the detailed arguments accessible. Similarly, readers who are unfamiliar with scholarly approaches to the Bible will find this an entrancing survey of how key texts have been understood differently across time by faithful Christians. Yet the book is based on such a huge amount of scholarship, marshalled so
carefully by the author, that theologians, church historians, and specialists in biblical studies will also frequently find valuable insights here." --John Sullivan, Liverpool Hope University