The Invisible Bestseller: Searching for the Bible in America
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A personal and journalistic inquiry into the Bible's disappearance from American life
In The Invisible Bestseller veteran religion writer Kenneth Briggs asks how the Bible remains the best-selling book of all time, while fewer Americans than ever can correctly articulate what it says, much less how it might offer guidance for their lives.
How can a book — one that's found in courthouses, libraries, and millions of households across the land — be everywhere and nowhere at the same time?
In his quest to make sense of the Bible's relative dis-appearance from public life, Briggs leads readers on a rollicking exploration that includes visits to Family Christian Stores, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the kitchen tables of everyday families. He offers insight on the Bible's current position in American public life and suggests where it may be headed next.
In The Invisible Bestseller veteran religion writer Kenneth Briggs asks how the Bible remains the best-selling book of all time, while fewer Americans than ever can correctly articulate what it says, much less how it might offer guidance for their lives.
How can a book — one that's found in courthouses, libraries, and millions of households across the land — be everywhere and nowhere at the same time?
In his quest to make sense of the Bible's relative dis-appearance from public life, Briggs leads readers on a rollicking exploration that includes visits to Family Christian Stores, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the kitchen tables of everyday families. He offers insight on the Bible's current position in American public life and suggests where it may be headed next.
Kirkus Reviews
"[A] knowledgeable account of how the Bible lumbers on in America, not as widely read but still precious to a core of believers."
E. J. Dionne Jr.
— author of Souled Out and Why the Right Went Wrong
"We buy a lot of Bibles but don't read them. We occasionally quote the Bible but mostly for our own immediate purposes. Ken Briggs, one of our most thoughtful religious writers, calls us to a new engagement with Scripture by offering a richly persuasive case for why the Bible still matters."
Diane Winston
— publisher of Religion Dispatches
"Briggs's penetrating study is a welcome addition to our understanding of how religion functions in everyday life. Deeply humane and beautifully written, The Invisible Bestseller introduces readers to the ways in which Americans do and don't understand the Bible and demonstrates why it remains foundational even when its teachings are hidden in plain sight."
"[A] knowledgeable account of how the Bible lumbers on in America, not as widely read but still precious to a core of believers."
E. J. Dionne Jr.
— author of Souled Out and Why the Right Went Wrong
"We buy a lot of Bibles but don't read them. We occasionally quote the Bible but mostly for our own immediate purposes. Ken Briggs, one of our most thoughtful religious writers, calls us to a new engagement with Scripture by offering a richly persuasive case for why the Bible still matters."
Diane Winston
— publisher of Religion Dispatches
"Briggs's penetrating study is a welcome addition to our understanding of how religion functions in everyday life. Deeply humane and beautifully written, The Invisible Bestseller introduces readers to the ways in which Americans do and don't understand the Bible and demonstrates why it remains foundational even when its teachings are hidden in plain sight."
Product Details
- Title : The Invisible Bestseller: Searching for the Bible in America
- Author: Briggs, Kenneth A.
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Publication Date: 2016
- ISBN: 9781467445993
Kenneth A. Briggs is a journalist and commentator who worked for many years as religion writer for Newsday and as religion editor for The New York Times. He has taught journalism and religion at Columbia University, Lafayette College, and Lehigh University. His previous books include The Power of Forgiveness and Double Crossed: Uncovering the Catholic Church's Betrayal of American Nuns.