The Received Text - A Field Guide

The debate over which Bible to use and why has been ongoing for decades. It sometimes appears only to be a discussion of translations but the topic is actually much more involved.Any Christian who begins to research this topic-technically called bibliology-will quickly discover that each English Bible is translated from Greek Hebrew and Aramaic sources and that there is a wide variety of opinions on which original language text base is best. Further once a text base is chosen there are just as many opinions regarding translation methodology. Sadly discussions on these topics are typically riddled with pejoratives reductionism and straw-man arguments. Because of the mischaracterization that often occurs it is exceedingly difficult to engage in meaningful conversations. In The Received Text: A Field Guide Taylor DeSoto surveys the spectrum of opinions that exist within the context of the ongoing discussion of text and translation within the Protestant churches offers a critique of these positions and presents the reader with a clear and persuasive argument in favor of using the Received Text and translations based upon it. Because he once considered himself a Critical Text advocate he is able to bring an honest and informed perspective of all sides of the discussion. The purpose of this book is not to analyze individual textual variants but to simplify and summarize a nuanced and often over-complicated topic to the level that anyone can understand. May it bring clarity to those seeking truth on the topic and steady the resolve of those already convinced of the position DeSoto advocates.