Transcription
The Printing of the BibleLessons from the Age of PrintRev. John Fanestil, Ph.D.
FOCUS English-language print material England and early New England “early modern” (15th – 17th centuries) Protestant “spectrum of dissent”
FOCUSHow did the rise of print technology changethe relationship of English-speaking peoples totheir sacred scriptures? What does this suggest about our relationshipto the scriptures?
ORIGINS OF PRINT IN ENGLAND1380s14151450s14761490s1516 Wycliffe written manuscript (England) Hus burned at stake (Konstanz) Gutenberg Bible (Mainz) First Printing Press in London Linacre/Colet translations Greek – English Erasmus Greek/Latin Parallel NT
WHOSE PRINT?CROWN/CHURCH1539 “Great Bible”1549 Common Prayer1592 Bills of Mortality1611 King James Bible
WHOSE PRINT? WHOSE WORD?CROWN/CHURCHSPECTRUM OF DISSENT1539 “Great Bible”1525 Tyndale Bible1549 Common Prayer1537 “Matthews” Bible1592 Bills of Mortality1557 Geneva Bible1611 King James Bible1563 “Book of Martyrs”
WHOSE PRINT? WHOSE WORD? WHOSE DEATH?CROWN/CHURCHSPECTRUM OF DISSENT1539 “Great Bible”1525 Tyndale Bible1549 Common Prayer1537 “Matthews” Bible1592 Bills of Mortality1557 Geneva Bible1611 King James Bible1563 “Book of Martyrs”
Bibles“First Fruits” ofPrint in earlymodernENGLAND Psalters Bills of Mortality Common Prayer Funeral Sermons Martyrologies
“First Fruits” ofPrint in earlymodernENGLANDDEATH
“First Fruits” ofPrint in earlymodernENGLANDDEATH Mortality Masculinity Martyrdom
“First Fruits” ofPrint in earlymodernENGLANDDEATH Mortality Masculinity MartyrdomWhat must I do to be saved from the power of sin and death?
ENGLISH UNDERSTANDINGS OF MARTYRDOM?MARTYRDOM A martyr is someone who dieswillingly for a sacred cause Martyrdom is a death deemedexemplary by others MARTYROLOGY Martyrology is a catecheticalpractice of narrating or invokingstories of martyrs & martyrdom A martyrology is a culturalrepresentation of martyrs &martyrdom (usually in print)
ENGLISH UNDERSTANDINGS OF MARTYRDOM?MARTYRDOM A martyr is someone who dieswillingly for a sacred cause Martyrdom is a death deemedexemplary by others MARTYROLOGY Martyrology is a catecheticalpractice of narrating or invokingstories of martyrs & martyrdom A martyrology is a culturalrepresentation of martyrs &martyrdom (usually in print) “Every martyrdom is both a death and a storyabout a death” – Jolyon Mitchell
“Book of Martyrs”John Foxe" we find this foresaid Year ofour Lord, 1450, to be Famous andMemorable, for the Divine andMiraculous Inventing of Printing
Foxe’s “Book of Martyrs”John Foxe“ by reason whereof, as Printingof Books ministered matter ofReading, so Reading broughtLearning, Learning showed Light,;by the brightness whereof blindIgnorance was Suppress'd, ErrorDetected, and finally God's Glorywith Truth of his Word Advanced.And thus much for the worthyCommendation of Printing."
Foxe’s “Book ofMartyrs” (1597)
Foxe’s “Book ofMartyrs” (1684)
USES OF PRINTin early modernENGLAND& NEW ENGLAND ReadingReading ngWritingMeditating
“ when a Puritan adopted a prayerful attitude uponopening a Bible, his or her bodily posture (inclinedhead, eyes closed, folded palms) was unconsciouslyassumed, based on the thousands of times thisritualized activity had been performed fromchildhood on. Moreover, this posture and attitudepredisposed the individuals to patterned thoughtprocesses and so to specific affective states somatically invoked.”Gary Ebersole, Captured by Texts
The Printing of the BibleLESSONS TECHNOLOGY DRIVES EMBODIEDBEHAVIOR CREATIVES ADAPT THE GOSPEL TO THETECHNOLOGY CONTINUITY & DISCONTINUITY “OLDWINE IN NEW WINESKINS”
The Printing of the BibleLESSONS PRINT AFFORDED CERTAIN ORIENTATION LINEARITY - “cover to cover” A SINGULAR FOCUS - “what must Ido to be saved?” PEOPLE “WROTE THEMSELVES INTO”THIS TRADITION - “the martyr’smirror”
opening a Bible, his or her bodily posture (inclined head, eyes closed, folded palms) was unconsciously assumed, based on the thousands of times this ritualized activity had been performed from childhood on. Moreover, this posture and attitude predisposed the individuals to patterne
