A review by dionisiomulone
A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths by John Barton

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

 The author has written an outstanding book, which analyzes, discusses, and puts into perspective subjects which are more often than not contentious. The author does so with an impeccable respect for the sources and does his best to properly understand them in their language and their context. 

I am reticent to give the book a 5 star review for one reason in particular. The book’s main focus is the relation of Jewish and Catholic and Protestant Christians scholars, communities, believers, and leaders to the Bible, their reactions, thoughts, and discussions around the text, and what can be inferred or deduced from their sources. As is, the book is lacking in the perspective from Eastern Orthodox communities, and other non-Catholic and non-Protestant forms of Christianity. This is notorious in the section which regards bible studies in the Middle Ages, which does not discuss the discussions and interpretations of Europe’s Greek east. The author states that knowledge in the Greek language made a comeback in the renaissance, but makes no mention to the fact that all those texts in the Greek language had been preserved by a monastic tradition which goes back to the early days of Christianity. 

The book is, despite the former, highly educational, precise, and rigorous. I wholeheartedly recommend it.