The Scofield Reference Bible

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scofield_Reference_Bible

First published in 1909, and the next edition in 1917, it appears as though this study bible was the pivotal influence on the more extremist ideological viewpoints shared by Fundamentalist & some Evangelical Protestant Christians in America.

Specifically:

1) Dispensationalism (Imminent End Times predictions, based on interpretations of the Prophetic Books in the Bible)and

2) Young Earth Creationism. (The Anglican Archbishop Ussher's interpretation that Earth was created in 4004 BC was not widely known in America until the Scofield Bible)

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In my opinion, the fundamentalist movement represented & fueled by this study Bible was a bad step for Christianity in general.

If you have someone who is on-the-fence & considering whether or not to convert to Christianity, this sort of extremist ideology will scare many of them off. And give plenty of ammunition to those who would disparage Christianity. Plus it would foment disunity between different denominations, since many types of Christians will not use religion to deny science.

Also, after the Scofield Bible we see a huge increase in the amount of goofy End-Times predictions, with all the problems of faith that occur when the predictions fail.

It would seem to me that Christianity was better off with the more sober, rational, scholarly interpretations of the Bible seen in the Catholic church and many of the non-fundamentalist Protestant churches.

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[miked10270 0]

Quote

... Dispensationalism...

Sounds like one of Dubya's words. You don't suppose "Schofield" was a pseudonym to lend credibility to The Bush Family Bible, do you?

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.