Clothed in the Word
The Embodiment of Scripture in Church History
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- History & Biography
- Publisher: IVP Academic (InterVarsity Press)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
Explore the Enscripturation of Christian Identity Across History Every time we read the Bible, it invites us to find ourselves within its pages. When we do so, we do more than interpret Scripture—Scripture interprets us. And it interprets us by naming us as we stand before the crucified and risen Lord. In Clothed in the Word, David Ney combines historical analysis and biblical hermeneutics to explore the ways in which Christians throughout church history have found themselves embodied or “enscripturated” in the stories of the Bible. Through meticulous examination of pivotal biblical figures, this scholarly work reveals how people of faith across centuries have applied scriptural names and identities to themselves and their communities. Extending beyond individual identification, this practice creates a participatory experience that encompasses entire faith communities and speaks to their standing before God and in Christ. As the text of Scripture and the reader interact with one another, many Christians throughout history have identified with the experiences of biblical figures, clothing themselves with their names and roles as a way of understanding and living out their faith. Clothed in the Word explores numerous examples like these from throughout Christian history: In the New Testament, John the Baptist is identified with Elijah the prophet. In ancient Christianity, believers often portrayed themselves as Paul the athlete who endured to the end, as they, too, persevered under trial. In the Middle Ages, Hildegard of Bingen saw herself as the Blessed Virgin Mary, not merely identifying with her but literally living out her life as a consecrated virgin. During the Reformation, several figures viewed themselves as Abel, appealing to God on behalf of their enemies, whom they identified as Cain. In recent years, Harriet Tubman famously understood herself to be a Moses figure commissioned by God to lead her people to a Promised Land. Perfect for church history courses, seminary education, and advanced undergraduate religious studies, this work offers professors, students, and interested lay readers perceptive insights on how Scripture continues to shape Christian identity across time and culture. Through this study of how the saints of history have enscripturated the saints of Scripture, Ney invites us to interpret our own lives in light of the stories of Scripture, thus clothing ourselves in the garments of the Word and discovering anew that the Bible is the Book of Life.
Endorsements (2)
“In this extraordinary work, David Ney shows us what it means to live in the Scriptures—as Jesus Christ did by echoing Israel's heroes and as did his followers from Paul onward. Indeed, Ney's examples of the enscripturation that comes naturally to Christians shows the complexity of the practice, as Luther and his opponents used it against one another, as Martin Luther King Jr. used it against racist fellow Christians, and as Hildegard of Bingen used it to claim her rightful voice in a Mariankey. This is a book to read and reread as we strive to join the great cloud of witnesses.”
“What a marvelous book! Gone is the gap between us and the Scriptures. David Ney shows how we find ourselves in the Bible by identifying with Christ. Since he makes the words and names of Scripture his own, we do the same. The result is the practice of enscripturation: We clothe ourselves in the Word's garments. In him, we become Elijah the prophet, Paul the athlete, Mary the mother, Cain and Abel the brothers, and Moses the liberator. Clothed in the Word is a major contribution to the theological interpretation of Scripture.”
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