An American Bible: A History of the Good Book in the United States, 1777-1880
The decline of the Bible's prominent role in U.S. thought and culture is sometimes attributed to the influence of German biblical criticism on American scholars in the late 19th century. While Gutjahr (English and American studies, Indiana Univ.) doesn't deny the impact of such criticism, he finds "the roots of the Bible's deteriorating presence" earlierAin the Bible's place in the United States's young publishing industry. The proliferation of Bible editions, packagings, and translations served to undermine the Bible's uniqueness, and the availability of Protestant and Catholic versions led to conflict over the use of the Bible in public schools. Furthermore, as the publishing industry grew, the Bible faced increasing competition for readers. Gutjahr provides a fascinating look into a neglected area of U.S. cultural history. Unlike some books that begin life as doctoral dissertations, this one is quite readable and engaging and should be in academic and public libraries.ACraig W. Beard, Univ. of Alabama at BirminghamCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.