Lay Bibles in Europe 1450-1800

This volume contains the proceedings of an international conference entitled Lay Bibles in Europe 1450-1800. The conference took place in Amsterdam in April 2004 and was organized by Biblia sacra, a joint Dutch-Flemish research group. The clamor for Bibles in the vernacular flourished within lay renewal movements of the late 14th century, including groups like the Brethren and Sisters of the Common Life. In the early 16th century, humanists like Erasmus and Lefvre d'taples stimulated vernacular Bible reading. As the Protestant Reformation became established, lay Bibles were produced on a large scale. In reaction to this development, Catholic theologians issued 'orthodox' Bible translations in various vernaculars based on the Vulgate. In sum, from the 15th to the 18th century, editions from various confessional or ideological backgrounds appeared throughout Western Europe. Of course, the invention and spread of the printing press greatly enhanced the distribution of these editions. The essays collected in this volume approach Lay Bibles in Europe 1450-1800 from various perspectives, including the history of books, art history and church history.