Reforming Scriptures
Theories, Transformations, and Experiences Across American Religions
The dynamic interactions between communities and scripture
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Publication Date
Paperback: 04/27/2027
About the Book
Is scripture a fixed object like the Bible? Or is it the result of what people do with sacred texts? In this collection, essays explore how Christian and other religious communities in the United States use, give meaning to, and debate the validity of scriptures that include everything from the spoken word to film to digital media.The contributors draw on pioneering theorists like Vincent Wimbush and William Graham to grapple with how we might understand what we call scripture. The first section asks what makes a text scripture; the second looks at how scripture might change from medium to medium or context to context; and the third delves into how people use scripture. Two key themes emerge: that it is communities that produce and confer authority on scripture; and that fully grasping what a piece of scripture means must account for the medium that transmits it.
Diverse and interdisciplinary. Reforming Scriptures rethinks what “scripture” really means.
Contributors: Samantha Baskind, Jon Bialecki, James Bielo, Kelly D. Dagley, Megan Sanborn Jones, Joseph McDonald, Tom Mould, Eugene C. Staples II, Peter J. Thuesen, Jordan T. Watkins, Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, Lydia Willsky-Ciollo
About the Author
Matthew Bowman is Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University, with a joint appointment as a professor of history and religion. His many books include Joseph Fielding Smith. Heather Marie Burrow is an adjunct assistant professor of ministry and biblical studies at Hope International University. Rebekah Call is an independent scholar. James W. Yuile is an adjunct assistant professor of ministry and biblical studies at Hope International University.Reviews
“Reforming Scriptures is a valuable contribution to the study of sacred texts, with a focus on American scriptures. It deftly combines theory and practice in a series of engaging case studies that employ a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives. As this volume amply demonstrates, the process of scripturalization is just as significant as the contents of any particular scripture.”—Grant Hardy, author of The Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Edition
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