Abstract
Abstract This chapter arises out of my observations of pictures of two similar but contrasting events: Donald Trump taking the oath of office as 45th President of the United States of America and the swearing in of the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon. In the first event, considerable coverage was given to the two Bibles on which the President laid his hand as he swore the oath. In the second, no Bible was used. The contrast intrigued me. What transpires from further investigation is that these events provide a noteworthy example of the Bible functioning as a material object which carries a symbolic significance that does not depend on its contents. Furthermore, they illustrate the way that the absence of the material Bible can at times be a powerful indicator, not of indifference to the biblical tradition, but of its continuing and potentially disruptive influence.
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