Reviewed Book: Cox, Howard H. The Calov Bible of Bach. Ann Arbor, Mich: UMI Research Press, 1985

Muller, Richard A.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 14Issue 1 Essays: Historical and Theological Article 115-1-1988The Calov Bible of BachRichard A. MullerFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationMuller, Richard A. (1988) "The Calov Bible of Bach," Consensus: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1 , Article 11.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol14/iss1/11116 ConsensusThe Calov Bible of BachEdited by Howard H. CoxAnn Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1985X + 460 pp.J.S. Bach frequently inscribed the letters “D S G ”—Deo Soli Gloria—at the end of the manuscripts of his compositions. So ends the score ofthe great B minor Mass. The greater part of Bach’s life was spent inmusical service to the church and the greater part of his music was eitherwritten specifically for performance in the church or draws on the music ofthe church for its themes. But what, precisely, was Bach’s religion like—and what were his theological views? We know, of course, that Bach wasLutheran, and Lutheran enough to be dissatisfied with the ecclesial stylein Calvinist Kothen, where he was employed as Kapellmeister from 1717to 1723. And we also have, in the rare book collection of the ConcordiaSeminary Library, St. Louis, Bach’s own copy of the so-called “Calov Bible”.The Calov Bible is an important possible indicator of Bach’s own theologicalviews or devotional inclinations for two reasons. In the first place, theCalov Bible is not simply text: it is also a commentary consisting of a verseby verse analysis of the text, sometimes brief, sometimes at considerablelength, by the eminent orthodox Lutheran theologian of the late seventeenthcentury, Abraham Calov or Calovius, professor of theology at Wittenberg.In the second place, Bach’s copy of the Calov Bible has been worked oververy carefully by at least one of its owners—with underlining, marginaliaand words of comment written into the text. The question that has plaguedscholars since the rediscovery of the Bible in 1934 is whether or not thevarious signs of careful study come from J.S. Bach.The Bible was printed in 1691 and only came into Bach’s possession in1733. Bach kept the Bible until his death in 1750, after which at least oneowner, Ludwig Reichle, wrote in the book: his signature appears in volumetwo. Do the markings in the Bible come from Bach or from Reichle—orfrom some other (unknown) owner of the Bible? The question becomesparticularly difficult to answer in the case of underlinings and minor cor-rections where handwriting analysis can be of no assistance. As the editorof the present volume notes, the earlier attempt to examine markings inthe Bible, undertaken by Trautmann in 1969, was inconclusive preciselybecause of this problem. Cox and his team of scholars, however, have takenadvantage of recent work in nuclear physics to provide what appears tobe conclusive analysis of all the markings in the text: together with hand-writing analysis, historical study of inks, and a strong component of Bachscholarship, the atomic analysis of the inks and markings themselves canidentify those markings which certainly, probably or possibly come fromBach himself.At the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory of the University of California atDavis, the team of scholars enlisted by Cox used a cyclotron-generated beamBook Reviews 117of protons projected on to one square millimeter of paper and ink. Theproton beam, in turn, causes an emission of x-rays from the ink and paper.These emissions can then be compared: the ink of known Bach marginaliacompared to the ink of questionable markings and of the underlining. Thebeauty of the method is that it causes no damage to the book. The BachBible is, in fact, the first book to be analyzed in this way (cf. the discussion,pp. 5-6), and the results of the testing are quite remarkable. Granting thecorrectness of the expert analysis of handwriting samples, specifically, ofthe attribution of various lengthier comments and corrigenda to Bach, thecyclotron analysis of markings and underlinings as identical in chemicalcomposition and of approximately the same date permits the attribution ofthese markings and underlinings, with a high degree of probability, to Bachhimself. In other words, virtually all of the markings in the Bible probablywere made by Bach.The Calov Bible of Bach is both a significant historical exercise andan important resource for further study of the life and work of J.S. Bach.In the first place, the volume manifests generally the value of cooperativeinvestigations by historians and scientists in a potentially fruitful area ofresearch. The Calov Bible points the way toward other, similar, efforts. Inthe second place, it provides an enormous amount of otherwise unavailableor difficult to access material to a wide audience: in addition to the chaptersof background discussion, literary analysis of handwriting, and concludingargumentation, the volume includes extensive diagrams and tables detailingthe methods and results of the proton milliprobe analysis, a nearly threehundred page set of reproductions of the pages from the Bible on whichmarkings had been made, and a full set of translations of the marked pas-sages and the markings. The volume makes no attempt to draw theologicalconclusions about Bach or Bach’s work— it simply provides a resource.In addition, therefore, to giving the editor and his colleagues praise fora job well done and for the creation of a volume that is attractive as well asinformative, some attention must also be given here to the kind of questionsabout Bach and his work that The Calov Bible may enable us to answer.Bach owned the Bible during the last seventeen years of his life—all of whichwere spent in Leipzig. The markings ought to be collated carefully with thechurch music written by Bach during those years, particularly with the textsof cantatas, in order to see if there is any correlation between Bach’s musicoutput and his biblical study. Since Bach seems to have been interested asmuch in Calov’s commentary as in the text of Scripture, the question canbe raised as to the impact of orthodox Lutheranism on Bach. After all,whether by chance or choice, Bach was reading a commentary written byone of the scholastic orthodox Lutherans and not by a Pietist. Pelikan hascommented generally on this issue but now, perhaps, some documentationcan be placed behind the generalization. In The Calov Bible of Bach wehave, in short, a marvellous new resource for Bach scholarship and a model118 Consensusfor cooperative efforts between practitioners of the more traditional formsof historical analysis and proponents of new scientific approaches.Richard A. MullerFuller Theological SeminaryTriumph of the LambTed GrimsrudForeward by Willard M. SwartleyScottdale, Pennsylvania and Kitchener, Ont.: Harold Press189 pp., $13.95Attracted by the Mennonite concern for discipleship and peacemak-ing, the author joined the Mennonite Church in 1981. Currently he is acandidate in Religion and Society at the Graduate Theological Union inBerkeley.According to the subtitle, the book intends to be a Self-Study Guidein the Book of Rev^lation. Each section contains study questions and abrief interpretation of the passage. In the eyes of the author. Revelationexpresses “a timeless philosophy of history” in which God’s people strugglewith evil until eventually God will destroy evil and establish the Kingdom.Giving up Hal Lindsay’s approach to the Bible (19), the author flatly statesthat “Revelation was not originally written for twentieth century Ameri-cans” (20). A prophet does not foretell the future but rather “forthtells”God’s truth in the present (22).The place and date, he maintains, are those when the church was per-secuted by the Roman Empire and some of its Jewish opponents (22), i.e.during the last decades of the first century.Unfortunately, the interpretation of the text is less satisfactory; it istoo brief and too vague at many passages. In a brief remark he says thebirth of the Messiah ( Rev. 12:22) means the cross of Christ (90). Thenumber 666 (Rev. 13:18) supposedly means “false religion” (104).Concerning “Armageddon” (Rev. 16:16) and the “eighth king” (Rev.17:11) the author remains indecisive (123, 133). The same is true of the1000 year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:1 ff; cf. 151).These criticisms notwithstanding, the volume is a useful guide to amethod of instruction in Revelation. However, a teacher should consultother recent commentaries, for instance, those of Schuessler-Fiorenza andthe like.Otto W. HeickWaterloo Lutheran Seminary

The Calov Bible of Bach

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 14
Issue 1 Essays: Historical and Theological Article 11
5-1-1988
The Calov Bible of Bach
Richard A. Muller
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Muller, Richard A. (1988) "The Calov Bible of Bach," Consensus: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1 , Article 11.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol14/iss1/11
116 Consensus
The Calov Bible of Bach
Edited by Howard H. Cox
Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1985
X + 460 pp.
J.S. Bach frequently inscribed the letters “D S G ”—Deo Soli Gloria—
at the end of the manuscripts of his compositions. So ends the score of
the great B minor Mass. The greater part of Bach’s life was spent in
musical service to the church and the greater part of his music was either
written specifically for performance in the church or draws on the music of
the church for its themes. But what, precisely, was Bach’s religion like
—
and what were his theological views? We know, of course, that Bach was
Lutheran, and Lutheran enough to be dissatisfied with the ecclesial style
in Calvinist Kothen, where he was employed as Kapellmeister from 1717
to 1723. And we also have, in the rare book collection of the Concordia
Seminary Library, St. Louis, Bach’s own copy of the so-called “Calov Bible”.
The Calov Bible is an important possible indicator of Bach’s own theological
views or devotional inclinations for two reasons. In the first place, the
Calov Bible is not simply text: it is also a commentary consisting of a verse
by verse analysis of the text, sometimes brief, sometimes at considerable
length, by the eminent orthodox Lutheran theologian of the late seventeenth
century, Abraham Calov or Calovius, professor of theology at Wittenberg.
In the second place, Bach’s copy of the Calov Bible has been worked over
very carefully by at least one of its owners—with underlining, marginalia
and words of comment written into the text. The question that has plagued
scholars since the rediscovery of the Bible in 1934 is whether or not the
various signs of careful study come from J.S. Bach.
The Bible was printed in 1691 and only came into Bach’s possession in
1733. Bach kept the Bible until his death in 1750, after which at least one
owner, Ludwig Reichle, wrote in the book: his signature appears in volume
two. Do the markings in the Bible come from Bach or from Reichle—or
from some other (unknown) owner of the Bible? The question becomes
particularly difficult to answer in the case of underlinings and minor cor-
rections where handwriting analysis can be of no assistance. As the editor
of the present volume notes, the earlier attempt to examine markings in
the Bible, undertaken by Trautmann in 1969, was inconclusive precisely
because of this problem. Cox and his team of scholars, however, have taken
advantage of recent work in nuclear physics to provide what appears to
be conclusive analysis of all the markings in the text: together with hand-
writing analysis, historical study of inks, and a strong component of Bach
scholarship, the atomic analysis of the inks and markings themselves can
identify those markings which certainly, probably or possibly come from
Bach himself.
At the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory of the University of California at
Davis, the team of scholars enlisted by Cox used a cyclotron-generated beam
Book Reviews 117
of protons projected on to one square millimeter of paper and ink. The
proton beam, in turn, causes an emission of x-rays from the ink and paper.
These emissions can then be compared: the ink of known Bach marginalia
compared to the ink of questionable markings and of the underlining. The
beauty of the method is that it causes no damage to the book. The Bach
Bible is, in fact, the first book to be analyzed in this way (cf. the discussion,
pp. 5-6), and the results of the testing are quite remarkable. Granting the
correctness of the expert analysis of handwriting samples, specifically, of
the attribution of various lengthier comments and corrigenda to Bach, the
cyclotron analysis of markings and underlinings as identical in chemical
composition and of approximately the same date permits the attribution of
these markings and underlinings, with a high degree of probability, to Bach
himself. In other words, virtually all of the markings in the Bible probably
were made by Bach.
The Calov Bible of Bach is both a significant historical exercise and
an important resource for further study of the life and work of J.S. Bach.
In the first place, the volume manifests generally the value of cooperative
investigations by historians and scientists in a potentially fruitful area of
research. The Calov Bible points the way toward other, similar, efforts. In
the second place, it provides an enormous amount of otherwise unavailable
or difficult to access material to a wide audience: in addition to the chapters
of background discussion, literary analysis of handwriting, and concluding
argumentation, the volume includes extensive diagrams and tables detailing
the methods and results of the proton milliprobe analysis, a nearly three
hundred page set of reproductions of the pages from the Bible on which
markings had been made, and a full set of translations of the marked pas-
sages and the markings. The volume makes no attempt to draw theological
conclusions about Bach or Bach’s work— it simply provides a resource.
In addition, therefore, to giving the editor and his colleagues praise for
a job well done and for the creation of a volume that is attractive as well as
informative, some attention must also be given here to the kind of questions
about Bach and his work that The Calov Bible may enable us to answer.
Bach owned the Bible during the last seventeen years of his life—all of which
were spent in Leipzig. The markings ought to be collated carefully with the
church music written by Bach during those years, particularly with the texts
of cantatas, in order to see if there is any correlation between Bach’s music
output and his biblical study. Since Bach seems to have been interested as
much in Calov’s commentary as in the text of Scripture, the question can
be raised as to the impact of orthodox Lutheranism on Bach. After all,
whether by chance or choice, Bach was reading a commentary written by
one of the scholastic orthodox Lutherans and not by a Pietist. Pelikan has
commented generally on this issue but now, perhaps, some documentation
can be placed behind the generalization. In The Calov Bible of Bach we
have, in short, a marvellous new resource for Bach scholarship and a model
118 Consensus
for cooperative efforts between practitioners of the more traditional forms
of historical analysis and proponents of new scientific approaches.
Richard A. Muller
Fuller Theological Seminary
Triumph of the Lamb
Ted Grimsrud
Foreward by Willard M. Swartley
Scottdale, Pennsylvania and Kitchener, Ont.: Harold Press
189 pp., $13.95
Attracted by the Mennonite concern for discipleship and peacemak-
ing, the author joined the Mennonite Church in 1981. Currently he is a
candidate in Religion and Society at the Graduate Theological Union in
Berkeley.
According to the subtitle, the book intends to be a Self-Study Guide
in the Book of Rev^lation. Each section contains study questions and a
brief interpretation of the passage. In the eyes of the author. Revelation
expresses “a timeless philosophy of history” in which God’s people struggle
with evil until eventually God will destroy evil and establish the Kingdom.
Giving up Hal Lindsay’s approach to the Bible (19), the author flatly states
that “Revelation was not originally written for twentieth century Ameri-
cans” (20). A prophet does not foretell the future but rather “forthtells”
God’s truth in the present (22).
The place and date, he maintains, are those when the church was per-
secuted by the Roman Empire and some of its Jewish opponents (22), i.e.
during the last decades of the first century.
Unfortunately, the interpretation of the text is less satisfactory; it is
too brief and too vague at many passages. In a brief remark he says the
birth of the Messiah ( Rev. 12:22) means the cross of Christ (90). The
number 666 (Rev. 13:18) supposedly means “false religion” (104).
Concerning “Armageddon” (Rev. 16:16) and the “eighth king” (Rev.
17:11) the author remains indecisive (123, 133). The same is true of the
1000 year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:1 ff; cf. 151).
These criticisms notwithstanding, the volume is a useful guide to a
method of instruction in Revelation. However, a teacher should consult
other recent commentaries, for instance, those of Schuessler-Fiorenza and
the like.
Otto W. Heick
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary


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