Biblical Translations
Biblical translations. Although a number of vernacular translations of the Bible were produced during the Middle Ages, these were often unreliable, and occasionally even illegal. The democratizing agenda of Protestantism demanded that every believer should have access to the text of the Bible; this necessitated its translation into the vernacular. 2. Biblical commentaries. From the outset, Protestantism produced a wide range of study aids for the interpretation of the Bible, of which the “Bible commentary” remains one of the most enduring. These works explained difficult or unfamiliar ideas encountered in the biblical text, commented on translation issues, addressed theological issues, and made practical applications. Some were primarily academic in tone; others were more devotional. 3. Works of biblical theology. John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, which appeared in its first edition in 1536, was intended to be a guide to the ideas of the Bible, allowing its readers to build up a systematic overview of Christian doctrine through an engagement with the biblical text. Many others have followed in its wake, aiming to weave together the themes of the Bible in order to give a systematic and coherent account of the themes of the Christian faith.
