Is the Bible Indictable? Being an Enquiry whether the Bible Comes within the Ruling of the Lord Chief Justice as to Obscene Literature

The work opens with a lively inquiry into a question that startled Victorian jurists: could the Bible itself fall under the same legal definition of obscene literature as the pamphlets and medical manuals that triggered high‑profile trials? By weaving together the notorious Queen‑against‑Bradlaugh‑and‑Besant case with contemporary debates over price, readership and intent, the author shows how the law of the era judged morality not only by content but by the cheapness that made a work accessible to the masses. The opening pages set the stage for a broader discussion of how “obscenity” was tied to class, economics and the perceived danger of corrupting public sensibilities.

From there the narrative moves through the statutes and parliamentary speeches that framed the infamous “obscene” test, contrasting them with the seemingly paradoxical tolerance afforded to classic literature and high‑brow art. By juxtaposing cheap reproductions of nude paintings with expensive gallery exhibits, the author illustrates the absurdity of a system that equated low price with moral danger. The enquiry promises a thoughtful, historically grounded look at how legal definitions of decency have been shaped by power, profit and the ever‑shifting boundaries of public taste.