Celebrations of the King James Bible

Observances of this anniversary have brought discussion of biblical translation and “the living word” into people’s living rooms. Here are a few examples:

  • British Methodists make a commitment to hand-copy the entire Bible, as a community project.
  • Houston Baptist University hosts an exhibit that traces the KJV’s influence on U.S. history.
  • This website, maintained by the King James Bible Trust, posts links to information, news, and special events.

Finally, here is a fascinating article from BBC Magazine discussing how the translation has influenced the English language as a whole. According to one researcher, the KJV has contributed 257 phrases to the English language that have become idiomatic. Money quote:

So paradoxically it seems that the profound influence of the King James Bible in changing and shaping our language came through the desire to be as linguistically conservative as possible.

If your city or your congregation is doing something special to honor this anniversary, we invite you to post a comment sharing it with our readers.

Editor

Katharine E. Harmon, Ph.D., edits the blog, Pray Tell: Worship, Wit & Wisdom.

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Comments

6 responses to “Celebrations of the King James Bible”

  1. Alan Hommerding

    Just a recommendation to share if you’d like to read about the translation process of the King James Version: “Wide as the Waters” by Benson Bobrick. The personalities and processes of translation in the 16th/17th c. are of even more interest in the current climate of translation kerfuffles. The concluding chapter, which posits that the KJV was the inspiration for the revolt of the thirteen British colonies, is the weakest part of the book (in my estimation), but even that makes for an interesting read.

    Reply
  2. Brian Duffy

    Thank you for including the above list of resources on the glorious King James Bible.

    The daily lections for morning and evening divine services assisted greatly in making the King James Version’s cadences known to the faithful of Anglican churches & the nonconformist bodies.

    Much of the beauty of the King James as well as of the classical Book of Common Prayer owes a huge debt to the Vulgate and to the ancient Latin missals and breviaries. Fortunately Cranmer could not shake off the rhythms acquired during his years of reciting the Latin collects and the Te igitur canon.

    An interesting book, “Sicuterat” by Beccaria, records the influence of Church Latin on the Italian language. I’d be curious to learn if there were other books documenting like influences on French, Spanish, German…

    Reply
  3. Richard Giles

    The King James Bible makes for superb literature but obscurantist liturgy. It is beloved especially by those outside the faith community who see it as encapsulating the lost world of childhood religious experience, for which they retain great nostalgia. It remains popular as a means of keeping God at arms length, safe behind a smokescreen of the language of yesterday.
    The anniversary should be celebrated in schools of English literature, in liturgical history class, but not in the worshipping assembly of today’s Church. Here the word of God, ‘living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword’ (Heb 4:12), continually translated into language of clarity, beauty and power for the present day, is revered as a means of encounter with God, the lifting up of our hearts, and the transformation of our lives. We dare not hide it behind a 400 year old screen , no matter how quaint, ornate or fascinating.

    Reply
    1. Jeffrey Pinyan

      What do you mean (or, to whom are you referring) by “those outside the faith community”?

      Reply
    2. Dunstan Harding

      I love “obscurantist liturgy” and the language to go with it. While I don’t think it should be our only public liturgical option, I’ve always been uplifted by it. Apparently, quite a few Orthodox Christians don’t seem to object to it either in their liturgies.

      By popular demand, here’s Tom Cranmer’s lovely dressed matins. If that’s what packs them into the church, I say why not?

      Reply
  4. Tom Poelker

    Sure, do the “dressed matins” if what you want to do is simply pack people into a building for a religiously sanctioned entertainment.

    In between the music rehearsals and choreography, though, please re-read Sacrosanctum Consilium and recognize that such a performance does not meet the meaning of “liturgy” as described there.

    Yes, such shows may go on, but they are missing the point that good liturgy affects people through the full, conscious, and active participation of all present.

    All sorts of devotions, sacred music, drama, and even dance are permitted in church. Please do not confuse them with the liturgies of the hours and the sacraments.

    Reply

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