English Bibles on Trial

The aim of this book is to explore antagonism towards and acts of violence against English Bibles in England and Scotland (and, to a lesser degree, Ireland) from the English Civil Wars to the end of the eighteenth century. By focusing on violent gestures, which expressed resentment, rejection and hatred, this book furthers our understanding of what the Bible meant for early modern Christians. More specifically, it suggests that religious identities in the period were not simply formed by pious reading, studying and contemplating Scripture, but rather, for some people, religious identities were shaped through antagonistic encounters with Scripture and the material book of the Bible.