20th June - 4th July
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The Book of Books

The Radical Impact of The King James Bible, 1611-2011

25th June, St.Mary's Church

Melvyn Bragg is a master and expert translator in areas that most academics find hard to popularise. His Radio 4 series: In Our Time is one of the most accessible in broadcasting. As well as being supremo of arts programmes for ITV for more than 25 years with The South Bank Show and now at Sky Arts, Melvyn has written several works of non-fiction as well as many critically acclaimed bestselling novels.

The King James Bible is both the standard scriptural text and, for centuries, the bestselling book in the English-speaking world. Melvyn Bragg reveals the political, linguistic, and religious influences and tells the story of the 300 year fight to get it into the English language. He charts the story of Henry VIII's Reformation and James VI of Scotland's determination for his version to become England's Bible when he assumed the throne.

Used as a source of propaganda in the English Civil War, the Bible has inspired debates about democracy and justice from the American War of Independence to the speeches of Martin Luther King.

Above all, The Book of Books, is a definitive history of the most influential book in the history of the world.

Venue: St.Mary's Church
Date: Saturday 25th
Time: 12 Noon
Cost: £10
Sponsored by: Ann Hudson