{"product_id":"the-word-in-the-wilderness-alexander-lawrence-ames-9780271085913","title":"The Word in the Wilderness: Popular Piety and the Manuscript Arts in Early Pennsylvania","description":"\u003cp\u003eOnce a vibrant part of religious life for many Pennsylvania Germans in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Fraktur manuscripts today are primarily studied for their decorative qualities. \u003ci\u003eThe Word in the Wilderness\u003c\/i\u003e takes a different view, probing these documents for what they tell us about the lived religious experiences of the Protestant communities that made and used them and opening avenues for reinterpretation of this well-known, if little understood, set of cultural artifacts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe resplendent illuminated religious manuscripts commonly known as Fraktur have captivated collectors and scholars for generations. Yet fundamental questions about their cultural origins, purpose, and historical significance remain. Alexander Lawrence Ames addresses these by placing Fraktur manuscripts within a \"Pietist paradigm,\" grounded in an understanding of how their makers viewed \"the Word,\" or scripture. His analysis combines a sweeping overview of Protestant Christian religious movements in Europe and early America with close analysis of key Pennsylvania devotional manuscripts, revealing novel insights into the religious utility of calligraphy, manuscript illumination, and devotional reading as Protestant spiritual enterprises. Situating the manuscripts in the context of transatlantic religious history, early American spirituality, material culture studies, and the history of book and manuscript production, Ames challenges long-held approaches to Pennsylvania German studies and urges scholars to engage with these texts and with their makers and users on their own terms. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeaturing dozens of illustrations, this lively, engaging book will appeal to Fraktur scholars and enthusiasts, historians of early America, and anyone interested in the material culture and spiritual practices of the German-speaking residents of Pennsylvania.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Alexander Lawrence Ames\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0271085916\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780271085913\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Penn State University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/30\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 264\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.79lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 5.98w x 0.71d","brand":"Alexander Lawrence Ames","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43993418334463,"sku":"9780271085913","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_f19974d0-1fe5-4ed8-9737-59766a5c5dfb.jpg?v=1683324239","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-word-in-the-wilderness-alexander-lawrence-ames-9780271085913","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}