Influence in History and Culture

The Bible has influenced every area of human culture, including government, education, literature, music, law, art, history, and religion.  Examples of the Bible’s impact are given in the articles and videos linked below.

• American Culture
  • The Bible and American Culture by Mark Noll
  • How the English Bible Shaped American Culture, Dunham Bible Museum lecture by Dr. Donald Dreisbach (video)
  • What leading Americans have said about the Bible
  • Inspirational Highlights of the Bible in America by Jerry Wiles
  • The Bible & the American Revolution, outline of an address to the American Museum Society, by Dr. Diana Severance
  • Old Abe and the Bible
  • The Bible and Lincoln, Dunham Bible Museum lecture by Dr. Ronald White (video)
  • The Soldier’s Bible or A Deck of Cards
  • The Bible and U.S. Military Chaplains, Dunham Bible Museum lecture by Chaplain John D. Laing (pdf transcript)
  • Beyond the Sacred Page, a look at the added study material placed in Bibles by Dr. Diana Severance.  Samples of such added materials can be found in the reprint from the collection section of this site.
  • John Brown’s Self-Interpreting Bible by Diana Severance; a history of one of the most popular annotated Bibles from the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • The Initiative of John Eliot in the Translation and Printing of the Algonquian Bible by Andrew W. Adler.  In 2012, Andrew W, Adler was a sophomore Biblical Languages major in HCU’s Honor College when he won 2nd place for his essay in the “A Piece of the past” essay contest.  Mr. Adler plans to be a missionary to india.
  • Adoniram Judson’s Burmese Bible: A Product of Intellect, Passion, and Providence by Andrew W. Adler.  In 2011, Andrew W. Adler was a freshman Biblical Languages major in HCU’s Honor College when he won 2nd place for this essay in the “A Piece of the Past” essay contest. Mr. Adler plans to be a missionary in India.
  • Mathew Carey’s Douay-Rheims Bible by Nicholas Mario Bruno. Bruno won 1st place in the 2011 “A Piece of the Past” museum essay contest. Mr. Bruno graduated from HCU in 2011 and plans to attend law school to study Constitutional Law after graduation.
  • Year of the Bible, 1983
• English Language
  • Words or phrases first introduced into the English language in early English Bible translations
  • Common English phrases originating in the Bible
  • Biblical References in Shakespeare’s Plays, Dunham Bible Museum lecture by Dr. Naseeb Shaheen (video)
• Literature
  • George Herbert’s “Redemption” by Dr. Louis Markos
  • The Psalms and Spirituality as Reflected in Poetic Versions of the Twenty-Third Psalm by Michael Morgan
  • “Reclaiming the Bible as Literature: an Evangelical Approach” by Dr. Louis Markos
• Education
  • The Bible and Higher Education, Dunham Bible Museum lecture by Dr. David Lyle Jeffrey (video)
  • Greek Texts Used in English Bible Translations, Dunham Bible Museum lecture by Dr. Donald Brake (video)
  • Production, Teaching and Marketing of the English Bible, Dunham Bible Museum lecture by Dr. Charles Ryrie (video)
• Global Impact
  • Quotes about the Bible from World Leaders