Criticism and confession: the bible in the seventeenth-century republic of letters, by Nicholas Hardy, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017, xii + 464 pp., £80 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-19-871609-9
Scepticism and loyalty represent the poles of van Dale’s career. Two contexts have been mentioned as relevant here: the seventeenth-century attack on magic and superstition, and the circles of friendship that created a contemporary Republic of Letters. This chapter evaluates both contexts, as well as others that may throw light on his relatively neglected attitude to the text of the Bible. It brings into focus two important intellectual episodes: his treatment of the account of the Witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:3–25), and his engagement with Hellenistic sources relating to the text of the Old Testament, especially to the miraculous composition of the Septuagint. These issues brought van Dale to ask questions about God’s Word. The chapter explores the limits of his scepticism, the extent of his scholarship, and the role of friendship and isolation in his development. Finally, it draws attention to his place in contemporary Mennonite debates.
Dirk van Miert, Henk Nellen, Piet Steenbakkers, and Jetze Touber, eds., Scriptural Authority and Biblical Criticism in the Dutch Golden Age: God’s Word Questioned. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. Pp. 480. £85.00.Nicholas Hardy, Criticism and Confession: The Bible in the Seventeenth-Century Republic of Letters. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017. Pp. 480. £80.00.