The Impact of a Bible-Loving Mother

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Prefaces and Acknowledgments are often some of the most intriguing parts of academic books. Often you get a glimpse into the heart of a person, and quite often you see who or what has motivated them.

David Norton, one of the foremost authorities on the King James Bible, has a new book titled, The King James Bible: A Short History from Tyndale to Today. At the close of his preface he writes:

“Reflecting on what long seemed a curious moment in my career that led to my working on the Bible, it seems now to have a kind of inevitability, so I come to my greatest debt of gratitude, to my mother and her ongoing love of the Bible.  Her Welsh Methodist heritage, going back to one of the founders of Methodism, Daniel Rowland, influenced me more than I knew.  The presence of a variety of Bibles in our house, including J.B. Phillips and James Moffatt’s translations, and E.S. Bate’s The Bible Designed to Be Read as Literature, helped shape my consciousness of the Bible.  That she had read from The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible [one of his works], sometimes aloud to my father, was a strange, deep-felt pleasure for me.  This book was originally dedicated to her, but now I must inscribe it thus:

In memory of my mother, Margaret Norton,

whose loving kindness taught us all how to live” (x-xi)

Never underestimate the impact and influence of a Bible-loving mother!

Hunger for the Bible

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“…possession of the scripture in English was prima facie grounds for suspicion of heresy, and a heresy trial could result in imprisonment, excommunication and even death by burning. Nevertheless, some two hundred and fifty manuscripts of the Wycliffite Bible, or parts of it, survive, considerably more than of any other text in Middle English” (Mary Dove, The First English Bible, 1)

The most dangerous book to possess is also the one best preserved. Humans hunger to hear from God and, across history, have gone to great risks to possess and read (or hear) the Word of God.

A COUNTRY PHILOSOPHER

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Having commended the poetry of Frank Stanton, here is one of my favorites from him which might be useful for a Monday and comes to my mind since my travel plans this weekend were interrupted by a snow storm. 🙂

“A Country Philosopher”

The cold has killed the corn off an’ blighted all the wheat;
The ice is on the peach blooms an’ the apple blossoms sweet,
An’ the country is in mournin’ from the mountains to the sea,
But the good Lord runs the weather, an’ it ain’t a-botherin’ me!

The bees was out fer honey an’ a-workin’ fer their lives,
But the blizzard stopped their buzzin’, an’ they’re froze up in their hives;
An’ there won’t be any sweetnin’ fer the coffee or the tea,
But the good Lord runs the weather, an’ it ain’t a-botherin’ me!

The mockin’ birds was singin’ jest the sweetest kind o’ notes,
But now they’re sittin’ silent with a flannel roun’ their throats;
An’ there won’t be any music ’til the summer time to be,
But the good Lord runs the weather, an’ it ain’t a-botherin’ me!

It don’t make any difference what these changin’ seasons bring;
If it’s cold, the fire’s a-blazin’, an’ I hear the chimney sing;
If it’s hot, the trees is shady, with the breeze a-blowin’ free,
Fer the good Lord runs the weather, an’ it ain’t a-botherin’ me!

– Frank Stanton (1857-1927)

“Thoroughly Drenched in the Word”

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Here is another excerpt from Adam Nicolson’s, God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible. Here Nicolson is describing the widespread attentiveness to Scripture and the in depth, intense preaching of the day. Something to aspire to:

“…week after week, preachers would occupy their pulpits analysing texts, pursuing moral and theological arguments, exercising the difficult and demanding skills that hold a congregation’s attention.  They were clearly good at it.  Laurence Chaderton, the moderate Puritan leader, once paused after two hours of a Cambridge sermon. The entire congregation stood up and shouted, ‘For God’s sake go on!’ He gave them another hour.

There can never have been a time in which Englishmen were so thoroughly drenched in the word.” (181-82)

Poet, Frank L. Stanton

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I have commented several times here on the value of poetry. One poet I particularly appreciate is Frank L. Stanton (1857-1927), who was the first poet laureate of Georgia.  His poems are primarily a celebration of the simple pleasures of life rooted in the rural South.  I recently acquired a book of his poems which contains a foreword by Joel Chandler Harris (of Uncle Remus fame).

This foreword contains an engaging critique of culture which still speaks today.  Here are some excerpts from the foreword.

“We know a great deal more than our fathers knew.  Profound sophistication is the order of the day. . . . Sham culture, brought to book (to speak literally), confesses that the beastliness of the primal ape remains pretty near the surface of things.  The poets flutter somewhat higher.  That which is insipid vulgarity in prose blossoms into pessimism in verse.  In the magazines and in the newspapers it is the same.  Knowing too much, we know nothing!  There is no future anymore.  Everything is hopeless gloom…”

“It is in the midst of these conditions that the voice of a singer away down South, in the provincial regions, makes itself heard.  It is a bold voice, too, for it persists in singing night and day, neither seeking nor avoiding an audience.  If the world listens, well and good: if not, pleasant dreams to all for the sake of old times! ”

“It will be interesting to note what the critics – the apostles of culture – will say of Mr. Stanton’s verses.  We shall hear, no doubt, that they lack finish, that too little attention has been paid to the demands of literary art.  It is so easy to talk about literary art, and so hard to know what it is!”

“In a period that fairly reeks with the results of a sham culture that is profoundly ignorant of the verities of life, and a sham philosophy that worships mere theories, it surely is something to find a singer breathing unceremoniously into Pan’s pipes and waking again the woodland echoes with snatches of song that ring true to the ear, because they come straight from the heart.  We were told a while ago by one of the sophisticated brethren that the poet of the future would come to us singing of science.  The dreaded possibility still lies before us.  Meanwhile, here is one with the dew of morning in his hair, who looks on life and the promise thereof and finds the prospect joyous.  Whereupon, he lifts up his voice and speaks to the heart: and lo! here is Love, with nimble feet and sparkling eyes; and here is Hope, fresh risen from his sleep; and here is Life made beautiful again.”

[Joel Chandler Harris’ preface to Frank L. Stanton, Songs of the Soil (New York: Appleton, 1928)]

I commend Frank L. Stanton to you!

KJV, Language & Meaning

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Adam Nicolson, in God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible, contrasts the careful, rich use of language found in the King James with the more recent New English Bible.  I think he is absolutely right.

“The flattening of language is a flattening of meaning.  Language which is not taut with a sense of its own significance, which is apologetic in its desire to be acceptable to a modern consciousness, language in other words which submits to its audience, rather than instructing, informing, moving, challenging and even entertaining them, is no longer a language which can carry the freight the Bible requires.  It has, in short, lost all authority.  The language of the King James Bible is the language of Hatfield, of patriarchy, of an instructed order, of richness as a form of beauty, of authority as a form of good; the New English Bible is motivated by the opposite, an anxiety not to bore or intimidate.  It is driven in other words, by the desire to please and, in that way, is a form of language which has died.” (154)

“The Word was his world”

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Adam Nicolson, in his book, God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible, describes Puritans this way:

“A puritan ate and drank the word of God. That word was his world.” (123)

Nicolson does not intend this as a compliment, and there were errors of various sorts associated with various ones known as”Puritan.” However, I would be honored to be known as one who ate and drank the Word of God, one whose world was indeed that Word.

Oh, to be worthy of such criticism.

Sweet Harmony of Grace in the Congregation

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Henry Barrow was a 17th century Puritan pastor imprisoned and eventually executed for his faith. After three years of imprisonment in despicable conditions, having not been outdoors in that time, Anglican officials visited him to convince him of his errors.  Being unsuccessful he bishop quipped that Barrow should enjoy his opportunity for solitude.  In response, this expressed how greatly he missed the fellowship of the saints, stating:

“So sweete is the harmonie of god’s grace unto me in the congregation, and the conversation of the saints at all times, as I think my self as a sparrow on the howse toppe when I am exiled thereby.”

What a joy to exercise the privilege of gathering with the saints in the morning.

(Drawn from Adam Nicolson, God’s Secretaries, 90-92)

The Work of the Pastor, William Still

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B. J. Maxwell posted a wonderful section from William Still’s book, The Work of the Pastor.  I have pasted only a portion below.  I encourage you to go on to Maxwell’s site to read the rest.

“God has caused you to become pastor to some souls here who are as valuable to Him as any in the world – your quiet persistence will be a sign that you believe God has a purpose of grace for this people, and that this purpose of grace will be promoted, not by gimmicks, or stunts, or new ideas, but by the Word of God released in preaching by prayer.”

KJV Conference at Union University

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This year marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible.  It is unfortunate that for so many people today mention of the KJV summons up only negative impressions- argument over using only the KJV, specter of unintelligible language, etc.

In fact, the production of this translation is a wonderful example of God’s work in history and something to celebrate. Leland Ryken makes this point  well in a recent column (I previously mentioned his forthcoming book on the KJV).  This translation has had more impact on English language and culture than any other book ever printed.  A recent column in the New York Times makes the point briefly and well- and simply the point that there is a New York Times article illustrates the point!  In an age when the church too often chases the culture seeking impact, it is helpful to consider an instance where the church shaped culture.

In order to reflect on and celebrate this anniversary, the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies at Union University will host the conference “KJV400: Legacy and Impact” September 15-17, 2011.  We will have plenary addresses from Leland Ryken, Timothy George and John Woodbridge.  In addition Union faculty members from a wide variety of disciplines (e.g. theology, history, literature, business, art, science, political science) will present papers on the impact of the KJV on their disciplines.  More information (including registration) will be soon forthcoming at the Ryan Center website.

Much will be said this year about the KJV.  It will be profitable to listen, reflect on God’s work in the past and, then, pray and work for the renewal of His work today.