Description: The advances of geologic science, Darwinism, theological
liberalism, and higher textual criticism converged in the nineteenth
century to present an imposing challenge to biblical authority. The
meteoric rise in secular knowledge exerted tremendous pressure on the
Protestant theological elite of the time. Their ruminations,
conversations, quarrels, and convictions offer penetrating insight into
their world--into their perspective on Scripture and authority and how
their outlook was challenged, defended, and sometimes changed across
time. Moreover, the nineteenth-century imbroglios greatly illuminate a
recent controversy over biblical authority. Some influential modern
scholars of American religion contend that the doctrine of the inerrancy
of the original autographs is a recently contrived theory, a theological
aberration decidedly out of concert with mainline orthodoxy since the
Reformation. They argue that pressure from biblical critics incited late
nineteenth-century Princeton theologians to fabricate the notion as a
way to quell criticism against Scripture. American fundamentalists, they
insist, unwittingly adopted inerrancy as orthodoxy, being deceived by
this innovation. This story has become standard scholarly currency in
many quarters. However, The Sacred Text indicates that fundamentalists
and conservative Protestants more generally are the standard-bearers of
the ascendant theory of biblical authority commonly endorsed among many
of the leading Protestant elite in nineteenth-century America.
Endorsements: ""This is an outstanding work and a great contribution. It
is wide in its research, concise in its expression, and extremely
helpful."" --John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher, Grace Community Church and
President, The Master's College and The Master's Seminary ""Learned,
deeply researched, and forcefully argued, Sacred Text affords a powerful
and sharply focused revisionist interpretation that, to my mind,
effectively establishes the hegemony of literalism and inerrancy among
most Protestant theologians and scholars. In a brilliant concluding
chapter on the famous heresy trial of Charles Briggs, Satta makes a most
plausible argument that the misinterpretations of Ernest Sandeen and
other historians of American religion can be traced to Briggs's defense.
The book is sure to stir up fruitful debate among scholars of American
Protestantism."" --Robert Westbrook, Professor of History, University of
Rochester ""The Sacred Text is an excellent historical study of biblical
authority in the nineteenth century. Satta argues that the Princeton
defense of biblical inerrancy was anchored in careful scholarship and
historic Protestant doctrine. His account of the Briggs controversy and
the resultant anti-Princeton historiography is first-rate."" --Roger
Schultz, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Liberty University ""Ronald
Satta provides a careful and lucid defense of a position I had thought
to be mistaken until his research persuaded me otherwise: he argues that
the doctrine of biblical inerrancy in the original manuscripts is not an
invention of late-nineteenth-century Protestantism but was in fact
widely held throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by a
range of American theologians and scholars."" --Edward Wierenga,
Department of Religion and Classics, University of Rochester About the
Contributor(s): Ronald F. Satta is an American historian at Finger Lakes
Community College. He earned his research doctorate in American history
from the University of Rochester and his professional doctorate in
homiletics from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of
three books and many scholarly articles.
