The King James Verison (KJV) of the Bible celebrates its 400th anniversary this year. KJV is arguably one of the most influential books in the world and its first publication was in 1611. The Western secular world underestimates the influence KJV has on English literature. The works of famous authors such as John Milton, Herman Melville, John Dryden and William Wordsworth draw upon the King James Version.
King James Stuart commissioned this translation of the Bible in 1604 during the Hampton Court Conference. King James lifted the criminal penalty attached to the translation process. The Western World because of progress and modernity takes this historical footnote for granted. English Christianity was turbulent and filled with conflict regarding church doctrine and translations of the Latin version of the Bible. KJV was not the first English translation of the Bible. KJV draws upon the work of Protestant scholar William Tyndale (among other sources). English authorities burned Tyndale at the stake because Cardinal Thomas Wolsey charged him with heresy for his efforts. Cardinal Wolsey also served as Lord Chancellor for Henry VIII and welded enormous power in England regarding church matters until the succession from the Roman Catholic Church.
Tyndale’s work was the first translation to take advantage of the printing press. The KJV’s development was the work of 47 scholars based on a revision of Tyndale’s translations. The scholars were mostly clergyman. The scholars divided into six committees that met at the University of Oxford and Cambridge University. KJV’s dedication was to King James as the architect of the translation. However, King James did little work other than setting the ground rules for the scholars to operate in.
The early Protestant movement believed in the idea that everyone should get access to scripture. This is not a revolutionary idea in our society dominated by the Internet and popular culture. The Catholic Church believed that if lay people had access to the Bible, they would misinterpret what they read. The concept of universal access to the Bible was a dangerous idea. The laity (i.e. the average person outside of the clergy) may question the authority of the church and its priests. By keeping the language of scripture in Latin, an elite number of scholars and priests controlled access to the Bible. Scholars and priests acted as gatekeepers of Christianity’s most important literary work until the Reformation.
There are parallels between the development of the KJV and the German bible developed by Martin Luther. Dr. Luther’s translation into the vernacular facilitated the emergence of the modern German language. Luther’s goal was to empower every Christian in Germany with access to word of God in a language they understood.
KJV influenced the development of American culture. KJV is embraced across many denominations in the United States. Black churches also embrace KJV. American leaders (political and cultural) used the KJV as a source of inspiration. There are events that will mark the anniversary of KJV across the globe.The Oxford University Press has sold 2.6 billion copies of KJV.
The development and influence of KJV represents a convergence of the printed word and technology (the translation and printed press). Hopefully, the technology of the 21st century will continue to foster intellectual development, storytelling, news, and the democratic diffusion of knowledge into the future.
