The Daily Discoveries of a Bible Scholar and Manuscript Hunter: A Biography of James Rendel Harris (18521941)

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This is the first full biography of James Rendel Harris (1852-1941), Bible and patristic scholar, manuscript collector, Quaker theologian, devotional writer, traveller, folklorist, and relief worker. Drawing on published and unpublished sources gathered in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, many of which were previously unknown, Alessandro Falcetta tells the story of Harriss life and works set against the background of the cultural and political life of contemporary Britain. Falcetta traces the development of Harriss career from Cambridge to Birmingham, the story of his seven journeys to the Middle East, and of his many campaigns, from religious freedom to conscientious objection. The book focuses upon Harriss innovative contributions in the field of textual and literary criticism, his acquisitions of hundreds of manuscripts from the Middle East, his discoveries of early Christian works in particular the Odes of Solomon his Quaker beliefs and his studies in the cult of twins. His enormous output and extensive correspondence reveal an indefatigable genius in close contact with the most famous scholars of his time, from Hort to Harnack, Nestle, the Sisters of Sinai, and Frazer.

Reviews

This is a detailed, ably and stylistically composed work; it eclipses most biographies of biblical and theological luminaries of the past, in both its particulars and its panorama. * Catholic Biblical Quarterly *
The overall movement and flow of the biography keeps the reader engaged, and it balances well Harriss academic life with his ministry passions. * Review & Expositor *
The Daily Discoveries of a Bible Scholar and Manuscript Hunter is without a doubt a major monograph. With its publication, Falcetta has contributed to the field of biblical scholarship the work of a lifetime and a lifetime of work This book will prove to be indispensable. * Review of Biblical Literature *
It will be an important addition to academic libraries and of great interest to students of the history of biblical scholarship. James Rendel Harris comes alive in these pages and his contributions, which have long shaped my own work, are key to understanding the dynamic history of manuscript studies, textual criticism, and the intersection of present and past in any historical inquiry. * Church History *
Falcettas study transmits to the reader an affection for Harris that imparts delight to the perusal of its 676 pages. The work fills a gap in the literature of not only biblical research but also nineteenth- and twentieth-century Quaker history and progressive Christianity more generally I commend it to anyone with an interest in these areas. * Quaker Studies *
Harris' name and publications still figure large in New Tesament study especially for those interested in 19th-20th century textual criticism. For others too the biography is fascinating. Those who enjoyed Janet Soskice, The Sisters of Sinai (the tale about the formidable twins, doctors Lewis and Gibson, whose lives were in many ways intertwined with Harris') will similarly find this biography, albeit more prolix in style, equally important and fascinating. There were indeed giants in those days * Novum Testamentum *
The book is almost as interesting as Harris himself, astonishingly detailed; it took the Italian author 23 years to research and write. It is interesting not just because of its fascinating 'hero', but in the way that it illuminates an important and formative period of biblical studies. * Journal for the Study of the New Testament *
[A] book bursting with detail. Nearly 130 pages of endnotes attest to how far [Falcetta's] research went ... Falcetta has clearly mined the primary resources, personal letters, and other archival material. No stone appears unturned. * Bulletin for Biblical Research *
Falcetta has provided a spirited account of the exceptionally long career of James Rendel Harris, one of the leading textual critics and manuscript collectors in Britain at the turn of the twentieth century ... Falcetta records [Harris's] experiences in exceptional detail and good humour. * Journal of Ecclesiastical History *
This is a monumental work by Alessandro Falcetta, a fitting tribute to the great Quaker academic adventurer Rendel Harris; scholar, teacher, campaigner, minister and humorist. This fine volume is important for those studying renaissance Quakerism, the history of biblical scholarship, holiness revival, and, above all, the art of a full and faithful life. * Benjamin Dandelion, University of Birmingham, UK *
James Rendel Harris was an extremely erudite scholar of the ancient literature surrounding the Bible. He successfully sought out manuscripts on persistent travels in the Middle East during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was also an active Quaker, a champion of suffering Armenians and president of the Free Church Council in 1907-8. A man of ceaseless energy, he has been brought to life with comparable erudition by Alessandro Falcetta. * David Bebbington, University of Stirling, UK *
Mercurial scholar, discoverer of the mysterious Odes of Solomon, intrepid traveller, collector of manuscripts, supporter of the twin autodidact Scottish Sisters of Sinai, reporter on the Armenian genocide, and first Principal of Woodbrooke, J. Rendel Harris long needed a good biographer. This role has now been admirably filled by Alessandro Falcetta, whose carefully researched and well-told account of James Rendel Harriss life provides a fascinating read. * Sebastian Brock, University of Oxford, UK *

Author Bio

Alessandro Falcetta teaches at the University of Stavanger, Norway.