From political speeches to pop songs, the biblical presence in American culture is hard to ignore. This sourcebook gathers and contextualizes a remarkable series of primary texts to illuminate the varied uses of the Bible in American life. Topics covered include the publication and distribution of the Bible, the use of the Bible in debates over slavery, homosexuality, feminism and civil rights, and biblical sources in works of art, music, poetry and fiction. The book provides a clear understanding of the centrality and influence of the Bible from the period of the first European settlers to the present day. It is invaluable for students taking courses on religion and American culture, and on the history of religion in the United States.

From political speeches to pop songs, the biblical presence in American culture is hard to ignore. This sourcebook gathers and contextualizes a remarkable series of primary texts to illuminate the varied uses of the Bible in American life. Topics covered include the publication and distribution of the Bible, the use of the Bible in debates over slavery, homosexuality, feminism and civil rights, and biblical sources in works of art, music, poetry and fiction. The book provides a clear understanding of the centrality and influence of the Bible from the period of the first European settlers to the present day. It is invaluable for students taking courses on religion and American culture, and on the history of religion in the United States.

The conversations in this collection open by challenging ideas that have become standard and subjecting them to critical re-examination. The central thread of all these essays is a reflection on the processes of reading and theologizing. Many focus on the relation of Paul to the energetic and complex Judaism of the 1st century, and one reads the Gospel of John in this light. Others highlight eschatology. Among the contributors to this volume are David E. Aune, Jouette Bassler, Daniel Boyarin, Neil Elliott, Victor Paul Furnish, Lloyd Gaston, Steven J. Kraftchick, Robert C. Morgan, J. Andrew Overman, Mark Reasoner, Peter Richardson, and Robin Scroggs. Juanita Garciagodoy and David H. Hopper offer appreciations of Calvin Roetzel as a teacher and colleague.