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The Influence of the Bible on Civilisation   By:

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THE INFLUENCE OF THE BIBLE ON CIVILISATION

THE INFLUENCE OF THE BIBLE ON CIVILISATION

BY ERNST VON DOBSCHÜTZ

PROFESSOR OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY OF HALLE WITTENBERG

NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1914

Copyright , 1914 BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

Published April, 1914

PREFACE

One of the greatest questions of our day is how modern civilisation and Christianity can go on in harmony. One can approach this question by several ways, but historical investigation has always proved to be the surest. The author has in mind to write in German a full "History of the Bible," when time will allow. Meanwhile this brief sketch may prove useful. Readers who look for references will find most of them in an article contributed by the present writer to Dr. J. Hastings's Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, vol. II, on "The Bible in the Christian Church."

The author wishes to express his thanks to his friend, Professor J. H. Ropes, for kindly reading the proofs for him, to Mr. W. J. Wilson and Mr. H. A. Sherman, who helped him in improving the diction, and to Professor Williston Walker for valuable information regarding early American documents. If any reader should find fault with the English style of this book, he must not blame any translator the author himself is responsible.

ERNST VON DOBSCHÜTZ.

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. January , 1914.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE I. THE BIBLE MAKES ITSELF INDISPENSABLE FOR THE CHURCH (TO 325 A. D.) 3

II. THE BIBLE BEGINS TO RULE THE CHRISTIAN EMPIRE (325 600 A. D.) 28

III. THE BIBLE TEACHES THE GERMAN NATIONS (500 800 A. D. ) 47

IV. THE BIBLE BECOMES ONE BASIS OF MEDIÆVAL CIVILISATION (800 1150 A. D.) 67

V. THE BIBLE STIRS NON CONFORMIST MOVEMENTS (1150 1450) 94

VI. THE BIBLE TRAINS PRINTERS AND TRANSLATORS (1450 1611) 117

VII. THE BIBLE RULES DAILY LIFE (1550 1850) 138

VIII. THE BIBLE BECOMES ONCE MORE THE BOOK OF DEVOTION 164

ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATE TO FACE PAGE I. HARVARD PAPYRUS. ROMANS 1 : 1 7 14 II. ORIGEN'S HEXAPLA 16 III. CODEX SINAITICUS 28 IV. ROLL AND BOOK 30 V. VIENNA GENESIS 32 VI. JOSHUA ROLL 38 VII. THE LORD'S PRAYER ON A POTSHERD 46 VIII. GOTHIC BIBLE 50 IX. ALCUIN'S BIBLE 52 X. THEODULF'S BIBLE 54 XI. LINDISFARNE GOSPELS 66 XII. BYZANTINE MINIATURE 70 XIII. ENGLISH MINIATURE 82 XIV. WYCLIFFE'S BIBLE 116 XV. GUTENBERG'S FIRST PRINTED BIBLE 122 XVI. FIRST PRINTED GERMAN BIBLE 126

THE INFLUENCE OF THE BIBLE ON CIVILISATION

I

THE BIBLE MAKES ITSELF INDISPENSABLE FOR THE CHURCH (UNTIL 325 A. D.)

There is a small book; one can put it in one's pocket, and yet all the libraries of America, numerous as they are, would hardly be large enough to hold all the books which have been inspired by this one little volume. The reader will know what I am speaking of; it is the Bible, as we are used to call it the Book, the book of mankind, as it has properly been called. It has been commented upon, treated in every way, but, curious to say, hardly any one has attempted to trace its history through the centuries and mark the influence which it exerted upon our civilisation... Continue reading book >>




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