Tyndale & the Whole Bible in English - Wotton

The 400th Anniversary of the KJV has certainly stirred up a lot of new interest in Tyndale's life and work!

Thanks to the many groups who have already contacted us to request special Tyndale lectures over 2011 - we are always keen to help spread the word about the life and colossal achievement of the man who gave us our English Bible...

In the third of our March lecture listings, Tyndale Society Trustee David Green will be lecturing for Wotton Civic Society on Friday 11th March.

The lecture and audio-visual presentation will begin at the Civic Centre, Wotton-Under-Edge at 7:30pm. (For exact location see reference 8 on the town's map - accessible here).

All Tyndale Society Members and Friends are warmly welcomed to attend.

Tyndale meeets Newton in Grantham - 29th March

US Secretary of The Tyndale Society and Newton expert Helen Martin will be visiting the UK in March to give a talk on The Classical Education of Sir Isaac Newton.

The lecture Event will be held at Newton's old school - The King's School in Grantham - on 29th March with a reception from 6.30pm onwards.

All Tyndale Society Members and Friends are warmly invited to attend.

Tickets cost £7.50 (£6 concessions) including wine and cheese and are available in advance from Sarah Brown at The King's School (numbers strictly limited to 120 people - so book well ahead!)

Tyndale's new lease of 'Everlasting Life' at Economist

Thanks to Books & Arts Editor Flammetta Rocco at The Economist, for flagging up The Tyndale Society's forthcoming Ohio conference...

"it’s the story of the King James Version of the Bible, which celebrates its 400th anniversary on May 2nd, that is likely to provide the greatest spread of cultural events (in 2011).

Produced during the lifetime of William Shakespeare and John Donne, it has long been viewed as the most elegantly written and poetic of the many English translations, and has given the language some of its best-known phrases: “lamb to the slaughter”, “skin of our teeth”, “chariots of fire”.

The King James, also known as the Authorised Version, remains one of the most frequently used Bibles in the English-speaking world, especially in the United States.

Barack Obama took the oath of office on the same King James Bible that had been used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861.

Everlasting life

In Britain more than 70 celebratory events are planned, starting with an exhibition at St John’s College, Cambridge, and including lectures, reading marathons, symposia, concerts and conferences as far afield as Plymouth and Aberdeen.

The Royal Mail will bring out a series of commemorative stamps and the BBC plans to broadcast a one-hour documentary.

Oxford University Press, which has published King James Bibles since the 17th century, will bring out a 1,520-page special quatercentenary edition.

Houston Baptist University’s Dunham Bible Museum kicks off the celebrations in America. Further events will follow in, among other places, Kentucky, Louisiana and Columbus, where a conference at Ohio State University (in collaboration with The Tyndale Society) will study the enduring literary and cultural influence of the King James Bible on writers such as William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf and Toni Morrison.

Tyndale set to save Anne Boleyn

The nation's much-loved portrait of Anne Boleyn is in dire need of a medieval makeover...

Custodians The National Portrait Gallery have raised the alarm after discovering the dire straits of this picture - with vertical cracking across the panel causing paint-loss.

The painting has had to be removed from public view until £4000 can be raised to pay for vital conservation work.

The Gallery has already raised £1096 during the first three weeks of the appeal.

To help them achieve their target The Tyndale Society will make a contribution for every copy of Howard Brenton's 'Anne Boleyn' which we sell to our Members and Friends in our New Year Special Offer.

Ohio KJV Conference Opens for Bookings...

Booking has now opened for 'The King James Bible - and its Cultural Afterlife' - a major international conference, co-sponsored by The Tyndale Society, to be held at Ohio State University, Columbus, USA between 5-7th May 2011.

The conference will focus on the making of the KJV in the context of Reformation Bible translation and printing as well as on the KJV’s long literary and cultural influence from Milton and Bunyan to Faulkner, Woolf, and Toni Morrison.

Speakers are to include: David Norton (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand), author of 'A History of the Bible as Literature' and long-time contributor to Tyndale Society conferences; J. Philip Arthur (Independent Scholar, UK) outstanding speaker on Tyndale's work, especially remembered for our Worcester conference; Dr Gergely Juhász (K.U. Leuven, Belgium) Antwerp collaborator of Dr Guido Latré in his presentation 'Tyndale's Testament' and Dr Leland Ryken (Wheaton College, USA) distinguished writer and teacher.

Our special guest speaker will be Edward P. Jones, 2004 Pulitzer Prize winning author of the novel 'The Known World'.

Events will include plenary lectures and discussions, scholarly panels, roundtable seminars, and readings by contemporary writers.

An accompanying exhibit will be mounted by the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library.

As co-sponsor of the event, The Tyndale Society has obtained a special 50% registration discount for all Members. To obtain your discounted registration DOWNLOAD OUR SPECIAL BOOKING FORM HERE.

PS - If you are not yet a member of the Tyndale Society, it is worth noting that the $45 subscription fee will save you $50 on the price of conference registration...

Email us for more details...

Letter from Lindos...

"Every autumn I spend some weeks in Lindos, on the Greek island of Rhodes.

It is believed locally that the Apostle Paul landed here in 43AD to preach Christianity. The almost landlocked cove below the village is named St Paul's Bay in his honour, and on his Saint's Day the villagers dance in his honour.

Concerning St Paul's final missionary journey Tyndale translates:
'And it chanced that as soon as we had launched forth, and were departed from them, we came with a straight course unto Coos (Cos), and the day following unto the Rhodes...'
( Acts 21, 1534 translation )

Paul was never shy of preaching in a pagan holy place, as shown by the riot he caused at Ephesus, and his great sermon in Athens on 'Mars street' (Tyndale's phrase). Lindos then was as old as London is today, and surely would have had a Jewish community, probably Paul came with introductions from friends.

Today Rhodes is both the name of the capital and of the island, but in ancient times the older city of Lindos was the artistic, religious and intellectual centre. The Horses at St Mark's in Venice were fashioned in the School of Sculpture. The Temple on the Lindos Acropolis was second only to the Parthenon in its dedication to Athena. The School of Oratory educated young men from all over the Roman world - Mark Anthony improved his Greek here, later to woo Cleopatra.

Romance is an enduring theme here in Lindos: during WWII a pious mother vowed that if her sons survived she would restore the old church above the beach. They all lived and she fulfilled her vow, rebuilding the tiny 'St. Paul's chapel' - now a mecca for British couples who meet here on holiday and return to marry in this beautiful spot.

Brides in billowing dresses traverse the steep path down the cliff, watched by amused swimmers and sunbathers.

I wonder - what does St. Paul make of it?"

May Clow, Chairman of The Tyndale Society

Cuisine for Conservation at Merton...

British Heritage site Merton Priory is calling all cooks in the cause of conservation...

Tyndale Society Members and friends are asked for their recipe contributions for a new charity cookbook to be produced by the Friends of Merton.

The new book - featuring the favourite feasts of Merton's many celebrity supporters - will focus on healthy, cheap eats which are simple to make.

Sheila Fairbank of supporters' group The Friends of Merton says 'The project is hoped to raise awareness of the charity as well as provide inspiration to budding cooks.'

To submit a contribution, email Sheila here.