Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
Introduction
29
Asatextwhichreflectedneeds,problemsandhopesofpeoplewhobelonged
toProtestantchurches,theBibleinBritainwasthebookofthecommunity
andthecommunity-makingbook.Itwasthesourceofpotent,mythicstories,
readandinterpretedin(aswellasforandby)thecommunity.TeBiblewas
adiscursivespacebothformaintainingdialogue,andforarticulatingconflicts
oridentifyingthelimitsofthecommunity.Asthecommunity’simaginarium,
theBiblewasemployedtoestablishcriteriathathelpedtocloseoutpeoplewho
wereunwantedandtoreassurepeoplewhobelongedtothein-group.Today,
eventhoughtherearesome(ofenregionalandhistoricallymotivated)difer-
encesinthewaytheBible’sstatusandimportanceareperceived,4itremains
aniconicbook,culturally“owned”bytheBritishpeople,anideasymbolically
attestedtoduringthecelebrationsofthe400thanniversaryoftheKingJames
Bible.Teanniversarybroughttogetherpoliticians,mediapeopleandaverage
citizensinScotland,EnglandandWales.AmongparticipantsweretheQueen,
membersoftheChurchofEngland,leadingpoliticalfigures(e.g.DavidCam-
eron),scholars,andthecommonpeople(e.g.thoseinvolvedinthePeople’sBible
project5).TiscollectivesolemnizationoftheEnglish-languageBible,however,
doesnotmeanthattheBibleisnolongerusedtomarkdiferencesbetween
groupsofpeopleinBritain.Infact,partsofCameron’sspeechcommemorat-
ingtheKingJamesBibleanniversarycouldbereadasevokingtheChristian
Bibletodistinguishbetweenpeoplewhodefinecharity,self-sacrifice,respon-
sibilityandhardworkasessentiallyBible-based,ChristianandBritishvalues,
4Terearesomedistinct,denomination-dependentwaysinwhichtheBibleisapproached
todayindiferentpartsofBritain.Forexample,historicallyassociatedwithPresbyterianism,
theHighlandsandHebrides,whichpreserved“asenseofapuritanChristiancultureuntilthe
late1970s”,havecontinuedtorelyontheliteralreadingoftheBible(Brown2014:283).Te
charismatics(withinroadsintoAnglican,CatholicandevangelicalcommunitiesacrossBritain),
PentecostalandevangelicalChristiansinsistontheabsolutetruthoftheBible,confusethebibli-
calpastwiththepresent,readscriptureasareflectionofeverydayexperience,andbelievethat
theBibleismade“alive”bytheHolySpirit.EvenamongBritishregularchurchgoers,however,
thecentralityoftheBible(“Bible-centricism”[Field2014:503])issteadilydeclining.“Exceptfor
evangelicalandethnicminoritychurchgoers,nowthemainstayofBible-centricism”(Field2014:
519),theBibleisnolongerthecornerstoneofindividualandsociallife.Measuredbyownership,
readership,knowledgeoftheBible,aswellasbybeliefintheBible’sveracityanditsinfluencein
everydaylife,thesignificanceoftheBibleisdwindling.
5TePeople’sBiblewasaweb-basedprojectmarkingthe400thanniversaryoftheKing
JamesBible.Itencouragedpeopletowritetwoverseswithadigitalpen,whichwerethenup-
loadedtoawebsite.Teprojectwaslaunchedon19JuneatEdinburghCastle-theanniversary
ofthebirthofKingJamesVIofScotland(KingJamesIofEngland).ApartfromthePrince
ofWales,whowrotethefirsttwoverses(Genesis1:1-2),thereweremorethan22,000people
participatingintheinitiative.TePeople’sBibletourvisited202towns,citiesandvillagesin
England,ScotlandandWales(theOccupyLondonprotestoutsideatStPaul’sCathedralalsopar-
ticipated).AnentireKingJamesBiblewasreproduced,andmorethan43,000verseswerewritten
intotal.
