The Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies
Oxford Studies in Historical Theology Series

The Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies examines the creation of the academic Bible. Beginning with the fragmentation of biblical interpretation in the centuries after the Reformation, Michael Legaspi shows how the weakening of scriptural authority in the Western churches altered the role of biblical interpretation. Focusing on renowned German scholar Johann David Michaelis (1717-1791), Legaspi explores the ways in which critics reconceived the role of the Bible. This book offers a new account of the origins of biblical studies, illuminating the relation of the Bible to churchly readers, theological interpreters, academic critics, and people in between. It explains why, in an age of religious resurgence, modern biblical criticism may no longer be in a position to serve as the Bible's disciplinary gatekeeper.

1.. From Scripture to Text. 2.. Bible and Theology at an Enlightenment University. 3.. The Study of Classical Antiquity at Gottingen. 4.. Michaelis and the Dead Hebrew Language. 5.. Lowth, Michaelis, and the Invention of Biblical Poetry. 6.. Michaelis, Moses, and the Recovery of the Bible. Conclusion. Bibliography.

Michael Legaspi is an Instructor in Philosophy and Religious Studies at Philips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.