INTRODUCTION

• Published in: Bunyan studies no. 15; p. 6
• Main Author: Owens, W R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Newcastle Upon Tyne Northumbria University, Department of Humanities, Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Bunyan, John (1628-1688)
• ISSN: 0954-0970

In response to this sequence of Protestant translations, in 1582 a group of exiled English Roman Catholics led by Gregory Martin published what became known as the Douai-Rheims New Testament (because it was begun at Douai, and completed at Rheims) and followed it by the Old Testament in two volumes, in 1609 and 1610. Sources for the history of Bible reading include the physical, textual and paratextual components of the books themselves; the advice and guidance provided for readers in a variety of publications; the records of reading experiences in diaries and journals kept by readers; the marginalia of readers in copies of Bibles; the commentaries and other works designed to assist readers in understanding the Bible; and the use made of the Bible by readers who engaged in controversy about its meaning and significance. An emphasis on sequential reading represented an important Protestant break with the Roman Catholic tradition of 'discontinuous' reading of the Bible, in which the text was divided up to fit the structure of the liturgical year. The final essay, by Iain Taylor, considers the significance of commentaries on the Bible, which were published in great numbers in the early modern period, and were designed to help readers to understand the sacred text.