The people's book : the Reformation and the Bible / edited by Jennifer Powell McNutt and David Lauber.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses caught Europe by storm and initiated the Reformation, which fundamentally transformed both the church and society. Yet by Luther's own estimation, his translation of the Bible into German was his crowning achievement. The Bible played an absolutely vital role in the lives, theology, and practice of the Protestant Reformers. In addition, the proliferation and diffusion of vernacular Bibles--grounded in the original languages, enabled by advancements in printing, and lauded by the theological principles of sola Scriptura and the priesthood of all believers--contributed to an ever-widening circle of Bible readers and listeners among the people they served. This collection of essays from the 2016 Wheaton Theology Conference--the 25th anniversary of the conference--brings together the reflections of church historians and theologians on the nature of the Bible as "the people's book." With care and insight, they explore the complex role of the Bible in the Reformation by considering matters of access, readership, and authority, as well as the Bible's place in the worship context, issues of theological interpretation, and the role of Scripture in creating both division and unity within Christianity. On the 500th anniversary of this significant event in the life of the church, these essays point not only to the crucial role of the Bible during the Reformation era but also its ongoing importance as "the people's book" today.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

The 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation has witnessed an avalanche of new material, and this edited work is a welcome addition to the subject. Twelve essays grouped in four thematic parts provide a helpful discussion of the relationship between the written word and the Protestant Reformation. The Christian faith has long been linked to the written text, but the Reformation was helped along by the printing press and the subsequent publication of pamphlets, catechisms, the liturgy, and, more important, the Bible in vernacular languages. In a work of essays, it is difficult to pinpoint specific authors, but the common theme tying these contributions together is the transmission of the Gospel through the written word. This created both unity and division, as principles such as sola scriptura and the priesthood of all believers opened up competing interpretations and challenges to traditional authorities. Nevertheless, the Bible's greater accessibility made for a more learned and engaged biblical culture that heightened lay participation in church and civil society. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. --Matthew Scott Hill, Liberty University