The Use and Abuse of the Bible

Resumen del libro

Written in an engaging and entertaining manner, this new book from leading Catholic biblical scholar Henry Wansbrough charts the use and abuse of scripture through the ages. It ranges from the evangelists' engagement with Hebrew Scriptures to the use of the Bible in present day politics most pertinently in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Wansbrough takes as his starting point Frances Young's The Art of Performance. This enables him to creatively display how 'The Bible' is differently 'performed' in different ages.


Wansbrough demonstrates the variety of these performances and their different emphases throughout history to glimpse the different ways in which great figures within the Christian tradition have used and abused the Bible. Indirectly, therefore, it attacks the ever-present danger of fundamentalism, and single-minded interpretation of the Bible. Viewing the interpretation of the Bible against the background of various historical periods gives a valuable insight into the long and rich history of the Church. A final chapter provides a 'worked example' of Lectio Divina providing a window into the author's personal life of praying the Bible.