The King James Bible (and the Atheists that Admire It) on This Day in History

 

This Day in History: The King James Bible was published on this day in 1611. Also known as the Authourized Version or the Common Bible, it has cemented its place as a monument in English literature, so much so that it is praised even by atheists. 

Christopher Hitchens paid tribute to the King James Bible by saying, "Though I am sometimes reluctant to admit it, there really is something 'timeless' in the Tyndale/King James synthesis...For generations, it provided a common stock of references and allusions, rivaled only by Shakespeare in this respect...It resounded in the minds and memories of literate people, as well as of those who acquired it only by listening."

Richard Dawkins said of the King James Bible, "Ecclesiastes, in the 1611 translation, is one of the glories of English literature (I'm told it's pretty good in the original Hebrew, too). The whole King James Bible is littered with literary allusions, almost as many as Shakespeare (to quote that distinguished authority Anon, the trouble with Hamlet is it's so full of clichées). In The God Delusion I have a section called 'Religious education as a part of literary culture' in which I list 129 biblical phrases which any cultivated English speaker will instantly recognise and many use without knowing their provenance: the salt of the earth; go the extra mile; I wash my hands of it; filthy lucre; through a glass darkly; wolf in sheep's clothing; hide your light under a bushel; no peace for the wicked; how are the mighty fallen...A native speaker of English who has never read a word of the King James Bible is verging on the barbarian."

Atheist horror author H.P. Lovecraft wrote of the King James Bible: "It is also important that cheaper types of reading, if hitherto followed, be dropped. Popular magazines inculcate a careless and deplorable style which is hard to unlearn, and which impedes the acquisition of a purer style. If such things must be read, let them be skimmed over as lightly as possible. An excellent habit to cultivate is the analytical study of the King James Bible. For simple yet rich and forceful English, this masterly production is hard to equal; and even though its Saxon vocabulary and poetic rhythm be unsuited to general composition, it is an invaluable model for writers on quaint or imaginative themes."

H. L. Mencken described the King James Version as “a mine of lordly and incomparable poetry, at once the most stirring and most touching ever heard of.” To Mencken the KJV was "the most beautiful piece of writing in any language."

Atheist Melvyn Bragg, who actually wrote a book about the KJV (The Book of Books: The Radical Impact of the King James Bible 1611-2011) states: "The King James Bible was the steel of will and belief that forged America and other British colonies. It has inspired missionaries around the globe and consoled the hopeless in their desperation. It was used by the enforcers of slavery and later by the liberators of slaves, and transformed into liberation theology by the slaves themselves. It became the bedding of gospel music and the spirituals which set in motion soul, blues, jazz and rock, the unique cultural gift of America to the world. It has defined and re-defined sexual attitudes. It has fortified and provoked philosophy."

See also Rare Olde English Bibles on DVDrom (Tyndale, Matthews, Coverdale, AV1611 ) and The King James Version Bible Companion: 100 Books on DVD and The History of the English Bible - 125 Books on DVDrom - For a list of all of my ebooks (DVD and Amazon) click here

See also Over 60 Different Editions of the King James Bible on DVDROM

Buy my published Kindle book on Amazon on Forgotten Bible Versions for only 99 cents