Bible Culture and Authority in the Early United States

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By Seth Perry

Published March 7, 2018

Early Americans claimed that the Bible alone was their authority, but Bible Culture and Authority in the Early United States (Princeton University Press) argues differently. In his book, assistant religion professor Seth Perry claims that the Bible was instead used by leaders, preachers, publishers, and others to justify their own authority, and he analyzes the way that the Bible has been cited in American writing and speech since its foundations.

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PAW’s December 2025 cover, with a photo of Michael Park ’98.
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