Book's power not diminished

This year is the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible. No book has been more influential on the English language than this translation of the Bible. Who said, “I am a little taken aback at the biblical ignorance commonly displayed”? It was not a bishop but celebrity atheist Richard Dawkins. In The God Delusion, he also said, “The King James Bible of 1611 includes passages of outstanding literary merit in its own right … but the main reason the English Bible needs to be part of our education is that it is a major source book for literary culture.” Just the other day I read an article by a Fairfax journalist on a dispute between David Gallop and Phil Gould. He warned that if the NRL worried about the incursions of AFL, then they should understand the saying that “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. I wonder if the journalist or readers knew that his sporting advice was quoting Jesus!In his book, Dawkins lists more than 120 idioms, phrases or cliches that come from the Bible, often straight from the King James Version (KJV), such as ‘‘fat of the land’’, ‘‘apple of his eye’’, ‘‘escaping by the skin of my teeth’’, ‘‘can a leopard change its spots?’’, ‘‘hide your light under a bushel’’, ‘‘turn the other cheek’’, ‘‘go the extra mile’’, ‘‘casting pearls before swine’’, ‘‘fallen from grace’’, ‘‘casting the first stone’’ and ‘‘fight the good fight’’. A lecturer in English literature at the University of Wollongong recently bemoaned the inability of his students to recognise, let alone understand, the biblical phrases that pepper classic authors, such as Shakespeare, Donne, Milton, the Bronte sisters and TS Eliot, or non-Western writers such as Allende and Marquez.The work of Australians such as Tom Keneally, Les Murray and Tim Winton is also infused with biblical motifs. At another end of the cultural spectrum, musicians as diverse as Led Zeppelin, U2, Paul Kelly and Nick Cave allude to the Bible and its message. Of course the Bible’s influence is far greater than literature, contributing hugely to our understanding of law and ethics - the sanctity of life and human rights. Most of all it introduces us to that towering figure of history, Jesus Christ. As a result, I find that people coming to our church’s English-as-a-second-language classes often want to know something of its message, even when from a different religious background. As newcomers to the culture, they recognise how influential the Bible is. Richard Dawkins wants us to keep a treasured heritage while giving up belief in God. But trying to separate language from content leaves little but an empty husk, bereft of the seed’s life-giving power. And you need more than mere words to face suffering, evil and death.The KJV translators intended the Bible to be heard in the language of their day, in a style that was simple and majestic. But in the 21st century, its antique language, along with improved translation techniques, means it has been superseded by fresher translations. Today, the best way to celebrate the KJV’s 400th is by reading the Bible for yourself. Revisit the power of its words and message with your adult mind. At the least, you’ll be fighting cultural illiteracy. Better still, you may discover that we cannot box Jesus Christ away in the 17th century any more than in the 1st century. And remember the advice of St James (1:22, KJV), “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”Reverend Sandy Grant is senior minister of St Michael’s Anglican Cathedral in Wollongong.