The Bible in English from the Early Middle Ages to 1611

A one-day colloquium to mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible, 12 November 2011 Canterbury Cathedral Lodge.

This colloquium will explore English translations of the Bible from the Early Middle Ages up to the publication of the King James Version in 1611. The day includes a series of lectures, a private view of the Cathedral’s exhibition of Bibles in English from Tyndale to King James Version, and morning and afternoon refreshments. The speakers are Dr Alixe Bovey, Dr Helen Gittos, Dr Sarah James, Professor John Thompson, and Dr Ryan Perry, and the day will culminate in Professor Stephen Prickett’s keynote address on the King James Version. 

All are welcome. Advance registration is strongly encouraged. £15, with reduced rates for Friends of the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS); seniors and unwaged (£10); and students (£5).

To register, please contact Claire Taylor at the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent: c.l.taylor@kent.ac.uk.

To see the programme and to find out more about becoming a Friend of MEMS, visit our website: www.kent.ac.uk/mems.

The Bible in the Seventeenth Century: The Authorised Version Quatercentenary (1611-2011)

7th - 9th July 2011
Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies, University of York

This conference, timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the 1611 King James Bible, will look at the reception of the Bible in the early modern era. It will bring together an impressive range of scholars from a variety of disciplines, to assess the significance of the scriptures to cultural, political, theological and philosophical history throughout the long seventeenth century.

The conference aims to clarify the uses to which the Bible was put in the period. It is premised on the notion that the biblical culture of the seventeenth century was vibrant and pervasive, including, for example, interpretation of politics and social revolutions, distinctive forms of philosophical and scientific thought and a discursive language of biblical characters, figures and typologies, the implications of which remain very much under-explored.

The conference will be based at the King's Manor, a beautiful complex of Medieval and Renaissance buildings in the heart of York. Plenary lectures will also be held at the historic Merchant Taylors Hall and the 14th century Hospitium.

For further information, please contact Dr Kevin Killeen at: bible@events.york.ac.uk

God’s Word in English : The King James Version as Translation

Date: 24‐25 March 2011

Venue: Antwerp and Leuven, Belgium

Dead line for abstracts: 30 November 2010

Website: http://theo.kuleuven.be/page/conf_kingjamesbible/

The year 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version,

undoubtedly the most important English translation of the Bible. Though this version is today often associated with Fundamental Evangelical Christian circles, its historical importance and its cultural and artistic impact cannot be overlooked. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the publication, SIG VERBI, an international research group of CETRA under the auspices of the faculties of Theology and Arts of the K.U.Leuven and the Department of Translation Studies of the Lessius University College (Antwerp), is holding a conference. The conference fits into the events to commemorate the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, organized by Refo500, of which the K.U.Leuven is a project partner. The aim of the conference is to present research on this remarkable version of the Bible primarily from the perspective of translation, including the effects this piece of translation have exercised on various areas of religious and popular culture, and especially on the theory and practice of translation.

Confirmed speakers include, among others, prof. dr. Stephen Prickett (University of Kent),

prof. dr. Gordon Campbell (University of Leicester), prof. dr. Guido Latré (U.C.Louvain & UGent), prof. dr. Amanda Piesse (Trinity College) and prof. dr. Tibor Fabiny (Budapest).

Thursday 24 March, 2011 in Lessius (Antwerpen)

1. Historical Session

 The Low Countries as Historical Context of the KJV

 The origin/history of the KJV within the history of (English) Bible translations

 How did contemporary political issues effect the translation of the KJV?

 How did the KJV effect contemporary politics?

2. Literary/Cultural Session

 The Low Countries as translation milieu

 The effects of the KJV as a translation on literature/music/performing arts ,etc.

 The influence of the KJV on later biblical and non‐biblical translations (e.g. on Jewish translations of the TaNaK, English translations of the Qur'an)

 Good/bad practices in (Bible) translation that are influenced by the KJV

 The use of KJV quotations and allusions in secular texts and their translations

Friday 25 March, 2011 at the Faculty of Theology (K.U.Leuven)

3. Exegetical Session

 Contemporary exegesis & its influence on the translation of the KJV

 The influence of the KJV on contemporary and later exegesis

4. Practical Theology Session

 KJV & the translatability of religious texts

 KJV & feminist/post‐colonial studies

 KJV & inter‐religious dialogue

 Fundamentalist Bible readings & King James Onlyism

The above list is not meant to be exclusive or restrictive. All suggestions for papers relating to

the topic of the conference’s theme will be taken into consideration. We welcome paper

submissions from graduate students.

It is anticipated that the allocated time for each paper will be 30 minutes, with additional time

for questions/discussion.

Please submit your abstract (max. 500 words) by 30 November 2010 to Dr. Gergely Juhász:

gergely.juhasz@theo.kuleuven.be

Notification of acceptance by 15 December 2010.

Details of accommodation in Leuven or in Antwerp and a booking form will be available soon

from the conference organizers and on the websites of the Faculty of Theology

(http://theo.kuleuven.be/page/conf_kingjamesbible/) and of Lessius University College

(www.lessius.eu). For further enquiries please contact either of the organisers Dr. Gergely Juhász (gergely.juhasz@theo.kuleuven.be) or Dr. Paul Arblaster (p.e.t.arblaster@hszuyd.nl). It is hoped that (selected) papers from the conference will be published in a volume edited by Dr Arblaster and Dr Juhász.