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Foreword

For the Christian the Bible has always held pride of place. But it has not always been easy to say just what feature or features constitute that position. Not least in our own time there have been many attempts to explain just what is the crucial function of the Bible in the experience of believer and of church. Often that place has been taken for granted, as if it needed no explanation. For many Christians whose devotional use of the Bible has become a part of their life no explanation is needed. But for other Christians in view of our developing understanding of history and of science and serious examination of the documents and their history, it has not always been clear how the uniqueness of the Bible is to be understood and presented. What is to be said about this complex book which will be acceptable both to the simple believer and worshipper and critical scholar? Can we achieve a consensus?

This book is an attempt to clarify the issues, by examining the proposals offered to explain that uniqueness. It is important to understand the notion of authority in a way appropriate to these unique documents that make up the Christian Scripture. The book also attempts to make clear that discussion of how the Bible is interpreted can be a very fruitful exercise.

Edward W. H. Vick