In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.
It is easy enough to hear the voice of God in the words of The King James Bible. It may not be the literal word of God — but it sounds like it should be. The translation of the Bible in the reign of King James is more than a translation of our culture’s sacred texts. It was the decisive weapon in Britain’s wars of religion. It is the defining document of the English language: sets rules of rhetoric and usage. It is also the defining document of England’s imperial age. Colonizers taught those they colonized to speak English by the King James supreme language.
That’s a powerful impact for a work designed by a committee. The story of the King James Version is a tale of scholars at work, and clergymen playing at politics. Translating the word and inventing God’s voice.
(Hosted by Michael Goldfarb)
Guests:
Alister McGrath, professor of historical theology at Oxford University and author of “In the Beginning”;
Willis R. Barnstone, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biblical and Literary Studies at Indiana University.