The Power and the Page: A History of the Bible's Writing and its Political Use
The Bible, a library of sacred texts for both Judaism and Christianity, has profoundly shaped Western civilization.
The Evolution of the Text
The Bible is not a single book written by a single author but a
collection of writings spanning over a thousand years.
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The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament): This portion, primarily written in Hebrew, began as oral traditions, songs, and legal codes.
Its composition and final redaction stretched from perhaps the 10th century BCE up to around 100 CE. -
Multiple Authors and Redactors: Modern scholarship points to multiple authors (Jahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, Priestly Source) for the first five books (Torah or Pentateuch), not solely Moses.
Later prophets, historians, and scribes contributed to the remaining books. -
The Exile and Canon: A pivotal period for the final shaping and canonization of the Torah was the Babylonian Exile (6th–5th century BCE), where religious identity and historical memory were fiercely preserved and codified.
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The New Testament: Written in Greek, this section includes the Gospels (accounts of Jesus's life), the Acts of the Apostles (early church history), Letters (Epistles), and the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse).
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Apostolic Age: Written by various leaders, most prominently St. Paul, in the first century CE, the texts were originally correspondence and teachings for early Christian communities.
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Canon Formation: The choice of which texts would be authoritative—the process of canonization—was a critical, politically charged undertaking. While some scholars argue for a much earlier consensus, others suggest the final selection and authoritative enforcement of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) was a political victory of a "proto-orthodox" party, cemented around the pivotal second and third centuries CE by influential figures like Irenaeus and, later, under the Roman Empire.
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The Abuse of Scripture by the Powerful
From its earliest compilation, the Bible has been used not only for spiritual guidance but also as a powerful tool for social and political control. This exploitation often hinges on selective interpretation (hermeneutics) to justify existing power structures or new political movements.
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Imperial and Royal Authority: Throughout the Middle Ages, monarchs frequently claimed to rule by "Divine Right," using biblical narratives and the New Testament's emphasis on submission to governing authorities (e.g., Romans 13) to legitimise their absolute rule. The translation and availability of the Bible were often tightly controlled by the Church and the Crown to manage interpretation.
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Colonization and Conquest: In the age of exploration, the Bible was a key ideological instrument. Its texts were used to justify colonization, land appropriation, and the subjugation of native populations, often by framing the colonizers as God's chosen people bringing light to the "uncivilized."
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Slavery and Oppression: Perhaps one of the most egregious examples is the use of isolated Bible passages (e.g., the Curse of Ham, or certain New Testament verses on servitude) to defend the institution of slavery and later, apartheid and racial segregation. This selective use ignored the powerful abolitionist, egalitarian, and liberationist themes also present in the Scripture.
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Political Identity and Nationalism: The use of the Bible in American political culture, often cited by Founding Fathers, exemplifies its role in establishing a "civil religion." Phrases and principles, from the structure of law to social reforms, were attributed to biblical influence.
However, this has also morphed into forms of Christian nationalism, where religious texts are used to define—and often restrict—national identity and policy.
Ultimately, the Bible is a collection of texts that contain both powerful critiques of abusive power (as seen in the Prophets and the teachings of Jesus, who often preached to the marginalized) and, paradoxically, has been molded and weaponized by those same forces throughout history. The very act of canonization and translation—determining which books were "in" and how they were understood—was, at its heart, a political decision made by influential men.