The Bible and Literature: The Basics is an essential introduction to the literary significance of the Bible. Providing students with a basic interpretive framework for analysing the meaning of Biblical allusions, it explores the many ways in which the Bible has influenced Anglophone literature throughout history. It addresses such questions as: Why do authors allude to the Bible? What are the major themes and motifs of Biblical allusions? Is there more than one way of interpreting these allusions? Do atheists, agnostics and authors from other religions allude to the Bible? Is the Bible relevant to contemporary issues in literature like postcolonialism, sexuality, ecocriticism, and disability studies? Including case studies from a broad historical period and a wide range of literary genres, this text is essential reading for all those wishing to understand how literature has been and continues to be influenced by The Bible.