Reading the Margins of the Early Modern Bible

The margins of early modern bibles are filled with explanatory notes that have long been denounced as seditious, traitorous, and dangerous. Little attention has been paid to the actual use of these margins by their contemporary readership. Across chapters that attend to distinct demographics of readers -- editors, clerical, Catholic, literary -- Horbury demonstrates the diverse reading practices of those who pursued the margins of the early modern Bible. From William Tyndale’s New Testament to the impact of the King James, Reading the Margins of the Early Modern Bible reconceptualises our understanding of how the Bible was read in early modern England and presents a transformative investigation into the role that margins played in reading scripture.

Ezra Horbury, Lecturer in Renaissance Literature, University of York

Dr Ezra Horbury is a Lecturer in Renaissance Literature at the University of York. They received their PhD from the University of Cambridge and completed a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at University College London. They are the author of Prodigality in Early Modern Drama and have published articles on literature, theology, and transgender theory in journals including Harvard Theological Review, Shakespeare Quarterly, and Transgender Studies Quarterly.