This attractively packaged volume aims to introduce readers to the "remarkable story" of "how the Bible came to be, how it survived, and how it changed the world." Miller (a Protestant) and Huber (a Catholic) present their material topically in two-page spreads containing illustrations and informational text boxes, and make a sincere effort to present an ecumenical narrative using a variety of academic approaches. To their credit, subjects such as modern methods of biblical interpretation, the Bible in movies and other media, and the Bible’s relation to slavery, sexism and abortion are handled in a broadminded way. However, their overall reliance on a faith-based understanding of the Bible’s history (i.e., as the noble struggle to preserve an accurate, authentic version of God’s word against human error and falsification) often leads them to downplay social, economic and political forces. This is most notable in their presentation of missionaries, which ignores the ties between religion and colonialism and only mentions in passing the damage inflicted around the globe as Christianity and European empires expanded side-by-side. Non-Christians (and many Christians) may bristle at the breezy descriptions of good-hearted missionaries bravely carrying God’s word abroad "for the sole purpose of letting others read God’s story for themselves." In addition, the book’s frequent reliance on outdated (and traditionally Protestant) interpretations of church history will likely make some Catholics and Orthodox Christians uneasy. Their portrayal of brave, reform-minded theologians battling the corrupt, monolithic Roman Church is too simplistic even for a general introduction and often rides roughshod over the diversity of Christian beliefs, whether Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant. Nonetheless, Christians—particularly Protestants—looking for an accessible introduction to the composition and transmission of the Bible will find the bulk of this book edifying.

作者简介

斯蒂芬•米勒（Stephen M. Miller） 《圣经》相关项目的专业作家与编辑,美国拿撒勒神学院（Nazarene Theological Seminary）宗教教育学硕士。他曾任《插图圣经生活》（Illustrated Bible Life）杂志编辑,参与写作过大量图书,包括《圣经人物词典》（Who’s Who in the Bible）、《历代圣经》（The Bible Through the Ages）、《圣经背景图解辞典》（The Illustrated Dictionary of Bible Life and Times）和《全备圣经指南》（The Complete Guide to the Bible）和《探索研读本圣经》（Quest Study Bible, Zondervan/Christianity Today Inc.）。他的专著有《如何读懂圣经》（How to Get into the Bible）和《圣经与人生》（How to Get the Bible into My Life）。他还是圣经文学协会（Society of Biblical Literature）、卫斯理神学协会（Wesleyan Theological Society）和美国基督教福音派出版协会(Evangelical Press Association)会员。

罗伯特•休伯（Robert V. Huber） 在读者文摘大众图书部工作过二十多年,为《美国百科全书》（Encyclopedia Americana）工作超过五年,曾参与编辑《耶稣及其时代》（Jesus and His Times）、《圣经人物词典》和《历代圣经》。他是纽约州立大学英美文学专业哲学硕士,纽约的宗教研究学院宗教研究专业文学硕士。

译者简介

黄剑波 文化人类学博士,中国人民大学人类学研究所副教授,主要研究领域为宗教人类学,基督教文化研究,社会边缘群体研究等。

艾菊红 文化人类学博士,中国社会科学院民族学与人类学研究所助理研究员,主要研究领域为宗教人类学,影视人类学,西南民族研究等。