The Practice of the Bible in the Middle Ages

In the medieval world, the Bible was never a static text monolithically understood. Read, performed, received, and interpreted at all levels of society, it passed through multiple hands and minds eager to incorporate its everyday teachings. In this volume, specialists in literature, theology, liturgy, manuscript studies, and history introduce general readers to the medieval culture of the Bible in Western Christianity. Unlike other studies, they emphasize the living quality of the text and the unique literary traditions that arose around it. Chapters cover the use of the Bible in teaching and preaching, the production and purpose of Biblical manuscripts in religious and daily life, early vernacular versions of the Bible, and its influence on medieval historical accounts. Essays describe the relationship between the Bible and monasticism, instances of privileged and practical use, and different uses in Italy, Iberia, and Paris. An introductory orientation provides background on the Latin Bible and its revision over the centuries. The interweaving of disciplines, both within each chapter and altogether in the book, offers an opportunity to encounter the Bible in much the same way as it was once experienced: on multiple levels and registers, through different lenses and screens, but always personally and intimately.