King James's Bible: A Selection - Paperback

by W. H. Stevenson (Author)

Without an understanding of Biblical stories, readers lose out on much of the richness of English literature, as authors from Milton through T.S. Eliot to Jeanette Winterson draw inspiration from Biblical stories in their own writing. This user-friendly annotated selection of key passages from the King James's Bible clarifies the key themes, characters, stories and genealogies for students, offering timelines, a bibliography, and a detailed index for quick and easy reference.

The original 1984 version, of which this is a revised edition, was written by Bill Stevenson as a response to his students' difficulty with biblical references in literature - a selection from the King James's Bible that would give the student a notion of what the book contains, including the history of the 1611 text, the strands of imagery that bind the whole together. It gives the student a brief overview of the political, historical and religious contexts of the stories in the Bible as well as a brief history of the different versions of the Bible.

Back Jacket

Throughout the ages, writers from John Milton to Jeanette Winterson have drawn inspiration from biblical stories. Without an understanding of the bible, 21st century readers are at risk of losing out on the richness and import of some of the greatest texts in the literary canon. In this annotated selection of key passages from the King James's Bible, W.H. Stevenson gives secular readers an accessible introduction to the bible that will enrich their reading in literature. He introduces biblical characters, stories and genealogies that will illuminate the study of English and European literatures, offering timelines and accessible introductions to place the text in its historical, intellectual, and literary contexts. Demonstrating that the King James Version of the bible is as impressive and readable as it ever was, this book halps the reader to understand and appreciate the text, and something of the sixteenth-century practices and concerns that shaped this particular translation, with headnotes and annotations to elucidate the background and draw attention to matters of literary and stylistic interest. Some of the passages are famous, others less so, but together, they enable the reader to investigate the rest of the bible at leisure. This book will prove essential reading to students and teachers of literature, and of social history.

Author Biography

W. H. Stevenson is retired Professor of English at Calabar University, Nigeria.