Bible

Last month some residents of Florida succeeded in banning a number of books from public libraries on grounds of ‘wokeness’. One of these books was the Bible. It seems a lost cause banning a book that many others say should be in every home. It certainly contradicts those in the same state who treat every word as literal truth, bibliolaters who put the book on a pedestal where conversation ends. Perhaps, as happens when books are banned, this will cause a rush in sales as secret Bible readers search out the ‘woke’ bits. 

Historically, a problem for Bible-banners and bibliolaters everywhere is that the Bible is not a book. It is a collection of books; the Greek word Biblia itself means ‘the books’. Long may it remain so, because it means living with awkward, challenging, creative expressions about God and Creation and humans that cross-reference each other but also speak with their own voice. Martin Luther would have banned the Letter of James from his Bible because it speaks too forcefully for salvation by works, a key complaint in his theology. And presumably those targeting libraries in Florida have their own unfavourite books of the Bible, though which ones is not clear in newspaper reports. As it is, none of these people have any hope of suppressing the canon, or the truth for that matter. 

Christianity is sometimes credited with the invention of the book, or blamed depending on your point of view. The rush for gospels, epistles and other revelations in the early church led to demands for a handy format that improved on the cumbersome scroll. The result was the revolution known as the codex, folded pages that could be stitched together, then turned easily. This revolution in the management and distribution of knowledge was followed over a thousand years later by printing, a revolution that brought all the books of the Bible together into one affordable volume for the first time. Add to this Erasmus’ revolution of translating into vernaculars and the Reformation was bound (literally) to happen.   

The digital revolution of our own time must be a nightmare for the do-badders of Florida, as readers order online or download their favourite book of the Bible, google the latest biblical quote to find and compare in 20 reputable English translations, scroll down to find the tested words of song, prophecy and good news. 

[Reflection for the pew notes on the weekend of the Book Fair, the 23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, the 4^th of September, St Peter’s Church, Eastern Hill, Melbourne]

Photograph: we don’t know the exact number of English versions of the Bible, let alone portions of the Bible, but here are a number of them being sorted on the Bible tables at the St Peter’s Bookroom Book Fair, held this weekend 3^rd September 10 am-4 pm, 4^th September 10 am-2 pm at St Peter’s Eastern Hill in the city,