The Bible

It is sometimes said that the Bible is one of the most unread books in the world, yet has been a major force in the development of Western culture and continues to exert an enormous influence over many people's lives. This Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the Bible by different communities and cultures and attempts to explain why it has generated suc...

It is sometimes said that the Bible is one of the most unread books in the world, yet has been a major force in the development of Western culture and continues to exert an enormous influence over many people's lives. This Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the Bible by different communities and cultures and attempts to explain why it has generated such a rich variety of uses and interpretations. It explores how the Bible was written, the development of the canon, the role of Biblical criticism, the appropriation of the Bible in high and popular culture, and its use for political ends.

约翰•里奇斯, 格拉斯哥大学神学与《圣经》批评学教授，已出版专著有《耶稣的世界：危机中的1世纪犹太教》以及《一个世纪的〈新约〉研究》。

梁工，河南大学《圣经》文学研究所所长、教授、博士生导师，研究方向为《圣经》文学、比较文学。主要译著有《耶稣的一生》、《圣经中的犹太行迹——圣经文学概论》（合译）等。