ETEC 540 Dave Campbell
June 20th, 2008 62862941
Codex Manuscript to Codex Print: Effect on Religion
The codex book was invented in the first century AD and was probably the single
most significant technological change in the way text is stored (Clement, 1997). Before
the advent of the codex, written works were stored in scrolls or on wax tablets. These
were difficult to store and required significant labour to produce. The structure of the
codex allowed it to be more easily stored and transported but also made specific reference
easier since the reader could simply locate the desired passage by turning to the correct
page (rather than rolling through a scroll) (Roberts, 1954). The codex began to replace
the scroll and wax tablet as the preferred method of storing text. One great advantage of
the codex was that it could hold six times the information of one traditional roll, so all of
the books of a given work could be stored together (Roberts, 1954). Initially they took
the form of the codex manuscript. Hand written pages would be bound together at one
edge in today’s familiar form of book. Individual codices required a significant amount
of labour to produce and reproduction of a written work required scribes and proof-
readers so the number of reproductions was often limited. In the 14th century, Gutenberg
invented the printing press and by the mid 14th century mass production of quality books
was possible (Boulter, 2001). This new method of producing books made possible the
delivery of books to far more people than was possible in the past. The first book that
Gutenberg produced was the Bible. The progression from the codex manuscript to codex
print had many effects on society including religion.
One of the most significant results of the mechanization of producing books was
that the value of an individual book decreased (although they were still quite expensive).
The technology of writing surfaces had also progressed to the point where in the 14th
century paper was available to anyone for a reasonable cost (Clement, 1997). A book
produced by hand required so much labour that it was highly valued. Once the printing
press was making high quality copies of books more people were able to afford them.
This opened the possibility for more individuals to own their own copy of their religion’s
holy text. As Kapitzke (1999, p. 4) said, “Rights of possession, preservation,
interpretation and dissemination of knowledge have been held, for the most part, by the
few for the many”.
Until more followers could have their own holy book, they had to rely on the
clergy’s interpretation of scripture rather than also having the option of considering their
own interpretation. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have in common the first five books
of the Old Testament and worship the same God but are quite different religions. They
developed different selective traditions of sacred texts, interpretive norms, textual
practices and social protocols (Kapitzke, 1999). Some of the differences between these
religions can be attributed to the fact that a given text can be read by different people and
interpreted in different ways, depending on their local situation and environment. The
mass distribution of the scriptures via the printed codex made the nationalization of holy
books possible and had paradoxical consequences (Eisenstein, 1980). Local
interpretations as compared to clerical interpretations removed the orthodoxy and
universality of the sacred texts (Kapitzke, 1999). Kapitzke (1999, p. 5) notes that, “…the
plethora of churches and sects in the world’s major religions shows the capacity for
transmutation of sacred texts with local beliefs all invalidate any notion of the autonomy
of text”.
If the holy books were not available on a larger scale, differing interpretations
would be less likely due to the centralized structure of and the hierarchy within the
church. The dispersion of the religious texts to those outside the church caused religious
officials to feel threatened in their power which was in part due to the fact that they were
the source of religious dogma without input from the people. Since their authority was
being threatened, the “…medieval church futilely attempted to universalize its beliefs, the
appalling cost of that exercise in terms of human life (estimated at between twenty and
forty million)…” (Kapitzke, 199, p. 5). Perhaps the Christian church foresaw the dangers
of distribution of the holy books to the masses when they proclaimed that anyone caught
with a codex bible would be killed (the Bible was originally on scrolls). Fortunately for
those who carried a codex Bible, they were easier to conceal than scrolls (Roberts, 1954).
Historically the church maintained its power over the people due to its control of the holy
books and their interpretation of the content.
The production of the codex print book was also subject to the agendas of those
producing the books. Some printers helped “…fan the flames of religious warfare by
mounting propaganda campaigns and promoting religious causes” (Eisenstein, 1980, p.
103). Differing interpretations of scripture could be shared and encouraged through the
use of additional printed materials. The differing interpretations would not have had the
same effect on religious followers if they had not had increased access to scripture due to
the printed codex. Eisenstein (1908, p. 104) states, “The lay publicist increasingly took
over functions previously performed by priests and mendicant friars”. As the pulpit
became less influential and less important, the people were freer than ever to make their
own interpretations and find a denomination which suited their own needs. This created
a competitive environment to recruit followers to a given sect. In turn, more religious
writings were distributed to a wide audience via the printing press to support a group’s
interpretation of scripture. This is the case even today as, “More religious literature was
consumed by more Christians in the nineteenth-century Europe than ever before” states
Vincent (2003, p.115). Interestingly, the “religions of the book” have so much written
about them, one might wonder if their original meaning is retained in any current version
of religious faith.
The quote, “Knowledge is Power” from Sir Francis Bacon in 1597 was without a
doubt the standpoint of the church. No greater threat to their authority could be perceived
than the combination of literacy and individual access to scripture. The power over the
masses that a religion held was based on an un-even distribution of knowledge. When
increasing numbers of people were able to acquire and interpret holy books for
themselves, the impending changes in religious faith should have been obvious.
Different interpretation led to different denominations with religious faiths whose
prevalence is clear today. This fragmenting of initial religious tradition was in part made
possible because of the printed codex books’ increased availability of scripture that was
originally held by few people in the form of codex manuscripts or scrolls.
References
Bolter, J.D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print
[2nd edition]. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Clement, R. W. (1997). Medieval and Renaissance Book Production-Manuscript Books.
Retrieved June 20, 2008, from http://web.ku.edu/~bookhist/medbook1.html
Clement, R. W. (1997). Medieval and Renaissance Book Production-Manuscript Books.
Retrieved June 20, 2008, from http://web.ku.edu/~bookhist/medbook2.html
Eisenstein, E.L. (1980). The Emergence of Print Culture in the West. Journal of
Communication, 30(1), 99-106.
Kapitzke, C. (1999). Literacy and religion: The word, the holy word and the world. In D.
A. Wagner, R. L. Venezky & B. V. Street (Ed.), Literacy: An international
handbook (pp.113–118). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Roberts, C.H. (1954). The Codex. Proceedings of the British Academy, 40, 169-204.
Vincent, D. (2003). The Progress of Literacy. Victorian Studies, 45(3), 405-431.