High And Holy: The King James Bible

The King James Bible at 400: we’ll look at its colorful history and deep impact.

In 1604, King James of England and Scotland needed a new Bible to bind his kingdoms. The word went out, the scholars were gathered, an epic job was done, and in 1611, the King James Bible was delivered.

It was antique-sounding, even in its day. August. High-blown. Majestic. And, for centuries, irresistible.

Its passages became the poetry of Christian devotion. Its texture became the texture of the English language. And its language — from salt of the earth to sweat of the brow — well, we’re still speaking it, every day.

This hour On Point: The King James Bible at 400.
- Tom Ashbrook
Guests:

Gordon Campbell, professor of renaissance studies at the University of Leicester and author of "Bible: The Story of the King James Version 1611-2011."

Margaret Mitchell, dean of the divinity school at the University of Chicago and professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature. She's author of "Paul, the Corinthians and the Birth of Christian Hermeneutics" and co-editor of "The Cambridge History of Christianity, Vol. 1."