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The Murderous History of Bible Translations
Power, Conflict and the Quest for Meaning
The Murderous History of Bible Translations
Power, Conflict and the Quest for Meaning
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Description
Harry Freedman recounts the fascinating and bloody history of the Bible.
In 1535, William Tyndale, the first man to produce an English version of the Bible in print, was captured and imprisoned in Belgium. A year later he was strangled and then burned at the stake. His co-translator was also burned. In that same year the translator of the first Dutch Bible was arrested and beheaded. These were not the first, nor were they the last instances of extreme violence against Bible translators. The Murderous History of Bible Translations tells the remarkable, and bloody, story of those who dared translate the word of God.
The Bible has been translated far more than any other book. To our minds it is self-evident that believers can read their sacred literature in a language they understand. But the history of Bible translations is far more contentious than reason would suggest. Bible translations underlie an astonishing number of religious conflicts that have plagued the world.
Harry Freedman, author of The Talmud: A Biography describes brilliantly the passions and strong emotions that arise when deeply held religious convictions are threatened or undermined. He tells of the struggle for authority and orthodoxy in a world where temporal power was always subjugated to the divine. A world in which the idea of a Bible for all was so important that many were willing to give up their time, their security and often their lives.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part One: Before the Violence
1 The Legacy of Alexandria
2 A Wandering Armenian
3 Old Words, New Tongues
4 The Sublime Bibles
Part Two: The Violence Begins
5 Medieval Conflict
6 The Murder of Tyndale
7 Confound their Strife
8 King James's Bible
Part Three: Enlightenment
9 A New Role
10 The Early American Bible
11 The Quest of Meaning
12 Reworking the Bible
13 The Future for the Translated Bible
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Product details
Published | 05 May 2016 |
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Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 256 |
ISBN | 9781472921680 |
Imprint | Bloomsbury Continuum |
Illustrations | No illustrations |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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Tremendous fun
Catholic Herald
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A fresh and brilliant examination of the story of Bible translation as well as the complex role of human motives in this highly readable book.
Rt. Rev and Rt. Hon The Lord Carey of Clifton
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In this wide-ranging look at the history of Bible translation, academic Freedman describes the passions and strong emotions that arise when deeply held religious convictions are threatened or undermined.
Publishers Weekly
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This book is an easy and engaging read, excellent for undergraduates to prompt further studies.
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament