Monday 24 October 2011

Fires of Faith Episode 2 - Now Online

'Martyrs for a Book' the second instalment in the 'Fires of Faith' Tyndale docu-drama series is now available to view online...

To access and view the full episode, click here or on the player icon above.

Monday 17 October 2011

'Burning The Book' - New Tyndale Play on Tour...

Jump to it Theatre Company's new Tyndale play 'Burning the Book' will open in Oxford on November 1st.

Writer Susan Stead describes the new play as a 'fast moving, provocative and funny four hander - with actors taking multiple roles to 'uncover the bizarre life of William Tyndale - a man whom Melvyn Bragg describes as "a scholar of extraordinary genius" who ranks alongside Shakesprare in his influence on the English Language.'

The first performance will take place in Oxford at All Saints Church, Lime Walk, Headington at 7:30pm on Tuesday 1st November (Entry fee £5 / £ concessions / FOC under 18s).

The production will then move on to Acton, opening at St. Martin's Church, Hale Gardens, W3 9SQ at 8pm on Thursday 24th November.

Further performances are also in the pipeline for Cheltenham, Colchester, North London and Reading.

Fires of Faith Episode 1 - Airs Online...

'Fires of Faith' Episode 1 - 'Yearning for the Word' - telling the first part of the story of William Tyndale and of the genesis of the Bible in the English language - is now available for online viewing to a global audience...

To access the episode, narrated by British actor Geoffrey Palmer, click on the image above.

Saturday 15 October 2011

Tyndale's 'Fires of Faith' to Air Tomorrow in USA

William Tyndale's moving story is set to get a touch of Hollywood tomorrow with the first airing of US dramatised documentary three-parter 'Fires of Faith', written by screenwriter Mitch Davis.

This major project - initially under working title 'Martyrs for a Book: the story of the English Bible' - was first reported by Tyndale Society Trustee David Ireson back in TSJ No.37, Autumn 2009, when he, fellow Trustee Guido Latre and the Society's Chairman Mary Clow were called in to advise.

"He sent us nine pages of questions, starting with Jerome and ending with the KJV. We then went up to London and went through a three hour interview before camera," said Ireson.

Fellow interviewees included David Rosen, then chief Rabbinate of Israel, Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham University and Brad S Gregory, Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana amongst 18 other elite scholars and religious leaders from around the world.

"Fires of Faith is rife with factual Early Modern Era drama that fictional Hollywood would struggle to concoct," commented film maker Lee Groberg.

"Those who sought to translate “God’s message” into the English vernacular were seen as heretics, persecuted and ultimately executed. At the forefront of the saga is British religious scholar William Tyndale, who was responsible for the original translations that make up more than 80 percent of the King James Bible’s text. His death by strangulation and burning at the stake under King Henry VIII didn’t stop his translated words from ultimately reaching a global audience and enduring to this day."

We wait with interest to view the resulting series, which is set to reach a US and worldwide audience of some 60 million households via cable/satellite channel provider BYUtv.

To view a trailer of the production featuring Tyndale Society Trustee Guido Latre, and showing many familiar Tyndale scenes, use the player window below or click here to access BYUtv's website.

For full information and screening times
click here.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Tyndale Evensong - 6th October - Fleet Street

On Thursday 6th October at 6:30pm, all Members and Friends of the Tyndale Society are invited to attend a special Choral Evensong service at Fleet Street's St. Dunstan-in-the-West - the ancient church where William Tyndale preached in 1524 before his exile.

The service marks the anniversary of the death of William Tyndale, and will be given by The Reverend Robin Griffith-Jones, the Master of the Temple Church.

The event forms part of the celebrations for the King James Bible's 400th Anniversary.



Tyndale Written on the Heart at Stratford

This autumn the RSC celebrates William Tyndale and the 400th anniversary of the making of the King James Bible with new play Written on the Heart, which opens the Winter Season in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.

The play tells the story of translators Tyndale and Lancelot Andrewes, both working to the same end but in very different circumstances eighty years apart.

Directed by RSC Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran, Written on the Heart was written for the RSC by David Edgar, whose most recent credits for the Company include Maydays and Pentecost.

The role of Tyndale is played by Stephen Boxer, who played Petruchio in the 2008 production of The Taming of the Shrew. Lancelot Andrewes is played by Oliver Ford Davies, who appeared most recently with the RSC as Polonius in the 2008 production of Hamlet.

Watch the mini-documentary / Find out more / Buy tickets

Tyndale meets Twisted Spire...

The Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield with Peter McEvoy, Secretary of the Chesterfield Christadelphians at the Bible exhibitionTyndale recently hit the headlines - and the streets - in Chesterfield - home of the famous 'crooked spire' to publicise an exhibition on the History of The Bible...

The 15th Century Scholar, who was martyred for translating the Bible into English, this time elected to spread the word face to face on a walkabout through the town, before welcoming The Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield at the exhibition.

The exhibition, put on in Eastwood Hall by the Chesterfield Cristadelphians, included ancient documents, showing how the Bible survived intact down the centuries to reach us today as well as archaeological exhibits which demonstrate the accuracy of many of the Bibles historical passages.

Mr McEvoy, Secretary of the Christadelphians (from behind Tyndale's beard) said "The exhibition was welcomed with great enthusiasm and interest by Christians in Chesterfield. We hope that it reminded people of its unique and remarkable history which we believe points to its unique status as the Word of God."

The Mayor looks at exhibitions at the Bible Exhibition

"Despite being rooted in history, we believe the Bible has a powerful and helpful message for people in the 21st Century too and we'd welcome the chance to share that with anyone who’s interested."