Fundamentalists Appeared After First English Bible

Having book in a common tongue allowed readers' own interpretations
By Laurel Jorgensen,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 12, 2007 2:04 PM CST
Fundamentalists Appeared After First English Bible
A Harvard professor writes that fundamentalism was born after the first English translation of the Bible was published.   (Shutter Stock)

The first English translation of the Bible led to the rise of fundamentalist interpretations of scripture, a Harvard professor writes in a new book. In Burning to Read: English Fundamentalism and its Reformation Opponents, James Simpson writes that once the general public no longer had to rely on clergy to decipher Bible passages, some began interpreting it very literally.

New Protestants lived in fear of persecution, or eternal damnation, from incorrectly reading into the passages, LiveScience writes. The phenomenon can help explain Islamic extremism today, Simpson says. “We see the same phenomenon: Newly literate people claiming that the sacred text speaks for itself, and legitimates violence and repression. And the same is also true of Christian fundamentalists.” (More Bible stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X