Taking a Text
Taking a Text
Reading and Referencing the Bible in the Early Nineteenth Century
This chapter examines bible reading and referencing in the early nineteenth century, with particular emphasis on reference as an essential aspect of Protestant religious authority. It first provides an overview of literacy, biblical literacy, and bible reading in early America before discussing the increased availability of reference materials as well as indexes and concordances as part of early national bible culture. It then considers how indexical materials became the primary means of locating scripture texts among all classes of American bible readers and how the resources of biblical citation were utilized by preachers during the period. It concludes with a discussion of the trajectory of Ellen Harmon White's career, and more specifically how she harnessed the print-bible culture of the period to parlay her visionary authority into a fully articulated bible-based authority.
Keywords: religious authority, literacy, bible reading, reference materials, indexes, bible readers, citation, bible culture, Ellen Harmon White, visionary authority
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