The Accessorized Bible (David Dault) - A Review

  

THE ACCESSORIZED BIBLE. By David Dault. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2026. 244 pages.

When a person sees the word “bible,” their first thought would normally go to a book also known as Scripture, which contains literature sacred to Jews and/or Christians. It may also have the adjective “Holy” attached to it. For Christians, this book contains two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. For Jews, their sacred scripture is known as the Tanak. It contains what Christians would call the Old Testament, though that’s not the name Jews would give this collection.  Of course, there are other forms of sacred scripture and other kinds of bibles that are not composed of sacred literature. That is because the word “bible” simply means “book.” The English word bible is based on the Greek biblios, which simply means book. Therefore, there are golf bibles and DIY bibles, and all manner of handbooks that speak to some area of interest. Since this is true, it might be worthwhile to ponder the meaning of this word “bible” and the way we understand it, and how we use it in reference to sacred literature.

The good news is that David Dault has written a most intriguing study of the word “bible and the object that is normally referred to by this word in his own book, The Accessorized Bible. Dault, who teaches in the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago and is the host of the podcast Things Not Seen: Conversations about Culture and Faith, raises important questions about how we use this bible that is near and dear to most Christians, as well as how we accessorize it. When it comes to accessorizing the “Bible,” he suggests that sometimes that involves justifying violence or as a fashion choice. To be clear, this is not a book about "the Bible." Rather, as Dault points out in his Introduction, this is really a book about us and the way we treat each other. Therefore, The Accessorized Bible is really a book about ethics and the relationships we have with each other and with this book we call The Bible. Dault writes about his purpose in writing this book, which will step on some toes: "The aim of this work is to turn the analysis back on ourselves, to name and examine —in a manner that is morally serious—the ways in which our relationships to these objects lead us to do things like bind up the broken (or not), welcome the stranger (or not), or kill the infidel (or not)" (p. 4). In other words, this is a book whose time has come because there is a lot of debate within the Christian community about how we treat the broken, the stranger, and the so-called “infidel.”

The Accessorized Bible is my first encounter with the work of David Dault, who, as I noted above, teaches at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago. He writes as a Roman Catholic who is concerned about how we relate to each other in light of our relationships to this book we call the Bible, which is itself a material object that gets accessorized. He brings to the conversation his engagement with recent efforts in biblical studies, including organizations and movements known as Scriptural Reasoning, Iconic Books, and Cultural Materialism, all of which he defines and describes. He brings all of these approaches to his study of the Bible, culture, and society, and does so in a compelling way.

Dault divides his book into two parts, followed by a lengthy conclusion. In Part One, Dault focuses on the theories and resources that he engages with as he explores the ways we use and sometimes abuse the Bible. It is here that he introduces us to Scriptural Reasoning, Iconic Books, and Cultural Materialism. He also addresses the importance of moral seriousness when we read and apply Scripture. So, in Chapter 1, he speaks of “Provenance and Terroir.” In this chapter, he lays out the issues at hand and the resources he uses to explore the nature and use of the Bible. Here introduces us to Scriptural Reasoning and Iconic Books. The former focuses on the ethical reading of Scripture, and the latter focuses on the material side of Scripture. Chapter 2 is titled “On Moral Seriousness.” Here, he draws on James Baldwin and David Dark, among others, to address the need to pay attention to oneself in the course of reading scripture, such that we read with an ethical mindset. Finally, in Chapter 3, he addresses the issue of “On Material Scripture,” drawing on the concept of  “cultural materialism.” Having worked in a Christian bookstore during seminary, I found this chapter especially intriguing. He speaks here of exploring “material scripture as a strategy for (mis)reading and (mis)interpreting the objects we call bibles.” In other words, here he wants to address the cultural dimensions of the book and how it is used and abused.

In Part Two, which Dault titles “Four Theses,” he offers four overlapping theses that speak to the way we engage this book called the Bible. He speaks here of the bible as a book (Chapter 4), as a platform (Chapter 5), as a community (Chapter 6), and as an accessory (Chapter 7).

So, for the first thesis, “A Bible is a Book” (Chapter 4), he speaks of books as “political arrangements” where author and reader negotiate as to the meaning and purpose of what is written and published. Therefore, it is subject to interpretation, as is true of any book. So, he writes: “In the end, a book is what we do with it, and nothing more” (p.109). His “Second Thesis” is that “A Bible Is a Platform” (Chapter 5). Here, he suggests that the Bible, as a platform, involves it being a book that is “socially produced.” Therefore, its meaning is always subject to negotiation. There is vagueness to its purpose and usage. It also involves the way a book, including scripture, is created over time.  So, he concludes: “Like our laptops, our automobiles, and our weapons, we configure bibles to suit our various purposes, and reconfigure them to meet our various—and too often violent—desires” (p.131). With that, we might want to think clearly about what people mean when they say “The Bible says…” His Third Thesis is “A Bible Is a Community” (Chapter 6). Here, Dault gives special attention to the social dimensions of the creation and experience of what is known as the Bible. There are within our experience of The Bible, as is true of any book, sets of relationships that include the reader, the author, and others who contribute to the way the book is produced, interpreted, and used. Finally, the “Fourth Thesis” is “A Bible Is an Accessory.” Building on the previous three theses, Dault speaks of the material consequences of this book that Christians and Jews consider sacred. He speaks here of the usefulness of this book as a social force. In this chapter, Dault uses images from the fashion world to make his point. In doing so, he points to the complexity with which we approach this book, including the way it is reproduced, marketed, and then used. So, he writes that “If an object we call a bible is to matter, it will matter because it has affected some behavior, for better or worse, within the world we share” (p. 170).   

Dault closes with a lengthy conclusion in which he describes what he calls "Catastrophic Love." This is a concept rooted in the work of James Baldwin and focuses on Dault’s interest in radical inclusion and deconstruction, such that love alone remains. Dault writes about his hope for catastrophic love, which results in “systems will be broken so that bodies stay whole. It also means that we must join in solidarity with the vulnerable in their catastrophic oppression, that we might also encounter catastrophic love –because at this point, you do not encounter the one without the other” (p. 201). As I contemplate this word from David Dault in his book, The Accessorized Bible, I do so with the current political situation in the United States in mind, especially the current administration’s efforts at mass deportation of immigrants, efforts that have significant support among a certain segment of the Christian community that sees itself as following the teachings of the Bible.

David Dault’s The Accessorized Bible, as I noted at the beginning of this review, will step on toes, especially if you think of the Bible as some kind of inerrant word from God that can be clearly understood with little trouble. Therefore, he challenges us to think clearly about this book that Christians and Jews consider sacred. He asks us to consider the complexity involved, not only in its interpretation but also in the creation of this entity, with all its accessories (including multiple translations and formats). In doing so, he reminds us that first and foremost, this sacred text is a “book,” like any other book, which must be approached with due respect. For Dault, the most important thing is to do so ethically, with a view to acting in a way fitting to the message of divine love. This makes for an excellent book for our times.    

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