Murray Cook on a book that changed the religious world
What is the most popular version of the best-selling book of all time (though have you ever tried selling one!)?
You probably don’t own one but your grandparents did and most of you have probably never read it, though there’s a copy in every hotel room you ever stayed in. I am of course talking about the King James Bible, which has its roots in Stirling.
The James in question was King James VI, who was Scotland’s first Protestant monarch, crowned in our very own Church of the Holy Rude, in a service by John Knox. James’mum, Mary Queen of Scots was Catholic and had been deposed in part because of her religion.
James was strictly tutored in Stirling Castle by the formidable and elderly George Buchanan.
Indeed so severe was his schooling that James was terrified by the memory of his former teacher, and notably Buchanan is reputed to have said to King James’ courtiers that while ‘you may kiss his a***, I hae skelped it’.
The new bible was composed to deal with inaccuracies in older versions and of course having a bible that people could read (ie not in Latin) was one of the central tenets of the Reformation.
James was still King of Scotland when he first proposed the idea but being King of England gave him the resources to propose this revolutionary new project.
It’s hard to describe the overwhelming influence of the King James Bible but perhaps the most telling compliment comes from arch-atheist Richard Dawkins who said‘a native speaker of English, who has never read a word of the King James Bible, is verging on the barbarian’.
Why not see if you have a copy lurking on a shelf; it’s beauty and may surprise you.