Product Description

Bruce Manning Metzger's memoirs trace his life from his childhood in the Pennsylvania Dutch country and his student years at Princeton through his distinguished career of teaching, writing, lecturing, and editing. Professor Metzger's work has won him the gratitude of both biblical scholars and the larger Bible-reading public. His text-critical work on the New Testament is reflected in the standard Greek text now used and appreciated by scholars worldwide. His efforts on the Revised Standard and New Revised Standard versions of the Bible helped produce the readable, accurate English translations used for study and devotion by so many. His work on The Reader's Digest Bible and The Oxford Companion to the Bible has made the Bible more accessible for an untold number of readers.

In these memoirs, Professor Metzger's own words put a human face on his monumental scholarly achievements. The wide array of stories and vignettes—from Senator Joseph McCarthy's attack on RSV committee members and Metzger's audiences with the pope to the time Professor Metzger and other members of the NRSV committee had to crawl out of a library window to get to their dinner—offer the reader a personal insight into some of the twentieth century's crucial developments in the text and translation of the Bible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1327163 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
"These reminiscences of a famous American New Testament scholar are a delight to read! Friends of Bruce Metzger over the years will be grateful for his recollections about many events and projects about which they have often heard. Those for whom he is just a name will also find here fascinating accounts of the International Greek New Testament project, the Bible Societies' Greek text, the translation of the Bible in the Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version, and the notorious saga of the Yonan Codex of the Syriac Peshitta. All of these have been events in the full life that Metzger has lived."
—Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J., Professor Emeritus, Biblical Studies, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

"Bruce Metzger has been involved in so many of the major biblical projects of this century that his autobiography is a window into the tremendous contemporary growth in understanding the Bible. These memoirs reveal a meticulous scholar with an awesome range of knowledge, an outstanding researcher with an appreciation for the religious value of the Bible, and a most sensitive gentleman. Reading his Reminiscences makes us appreciate the highest ideals of biblical scholarship."
—Raymond E. Brown, S.S., Auburn Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies, Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY -- Review

About the Author
Bruce Manning Metzger is the George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature Emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of hundreds of articles on Bible translation, textual criticism, the Hebrew Bible, the Apocrypha, and the New Testament. He has published numerous books, including The New Testament: Its Background, Growth, and Content; The Text of the New Testament; Manuscripts of the Greek Bible; A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament; Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek; and The Canon of the New Testament. He was the general editor of the New Testament Tools and Studies series, The Reader's Digest Bible, and The Oxford Companion to the Bible and was on the editorial boards of the International Greek New Testament Project, the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament, the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. He is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Customer Reviews

Good, could have been much better
I was hoping this book may give some insight into Metzger the person and Metzger the spiritual being. Instead it is a set of experiences related to his life as a scholar, which is very interesting reading in its own right and I recommend the book on that basis, but don't expect much insight into Metzger's inner self, apparently he can't even ditch his scholars cap when talking about himself!

Fascinating
Most octogenarians have reminiscences, but very few are as interesting as these! The exacting memory and precise eye for detail which made Metzger the dean of thsi century's textula critics also makes him an ideal figure for mining his wealth of experience. This memoir goes from his Pennsylvania boyhood to the ivy league halls of Princeton Theological Seminary, where Metzger spent more than 50 years as a student and professor. He gives us a candid insider's view of the great Biblical translation issues of this century. A good read.

Loved It
There is a lot of truth in the above criticism. But, Metzger the human being is fleshed out many times in the book. Sure, it is not a psychological or spiritual manifesto, but I did feel I was acquainted with Bruce Manning Metzger by the end. His humility and integrity shine forth from every page. I thank God for him.