What need have we for the Bible?

"Religion aside, the Bible revolutionized modern language and influences the way people communicate today."

The translation of the Bible is one of the most seminal moments in history because it expanded human thought and continues to influence the world. This event was the culmination of several hundred years of events and spans multiple languages.

A little bit of history

It all started with Jerome, a Catholic priest, in the 4th century A.D. when he made the Vulgate by translating the bible from its original text to Latin which was the predominant language at the time. The Vulgate became the source material used for every mass for hundreds of years. When the clergy read scripture to the congregation, it was from the Vulgate.

Now, fast forward a few hundred years with me to the Renaissance where classic Greek and Roman culture were reborn. While it was heavily marked by progressive thought, it also was a revolutionary era in which artists, politicians, and laypersons challenged the status quo. This included monks like Martin Luther and devout member of the congregation such as John Wycliffe and John Calvin.

For years, the Catholic church outlawed the Bible in common languages. Eventually, after years of smuggling illegal copies of translations into peoples homes, there was a schism between the king of England and the pope. In retaliation, the king of England formed the church of England and authorized its members to have the Bible in English.

Who cares? (you should more than you do)

Any non-christian reader might be thinking "woopdy-doo. So what?" To which I would say, "consider how difficult it is to translate something." William Tyndale performed an English translation of the New Testament from Greek and the committee commissioned by King Henry VIII also relied on Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic source material. While translating, the translators kept the syntax and poetic structure of these languages to best reflect the style of the language they were originally written in. As a result, the English language was rebranded in a way that was never done before.

What this means for us

The dissemination of the English Bible throughout the world meant everyone could read and experience the language in a new undiscovered way. Religion aside, the Bible revolutionized modern language and influences the way people communicate today. In our storytelling, many people reference classic works which reference the Bible. When the United States was founded, many of the principles espoused by the founding fathers were based in Biblical literature. And finally, it can affect you and the way you communicate. Things we say like "turn the other cheek," "go the extra mile," or "by the skin of your teeth" all come biblical passages.

In conclusion, the translation of the Bible led to the evolution of the English language and influences literature, storytelling, and how we communicate today.