Not all Medieval Studies are the Same

For the record, I will be returning to my posts on The Canterbury Tales soon. Since Spring, I have had many distractions on things going on elsewhere, though I feel pretty sure that I will be able to get back to my emphasis on Medieval Literature again soon. I hope that especially by 2020, that I maybe able to give more time to the reading of poetry, prose, and drama again.
 Colleges can very significantly on the courses, requirements, etc, needed to gain a degree. As some of you are aware, the certificate of Medieval Studies is something I'd like to pursue at the master's level.
 It turns out, that at the University of TN for instance, Medieval Studies at The Master's Level is actually an addition to the History or English department, one gains the certificate not separately , but with their actual major. In some colleges, The Medieval Program gives the degree at the graduate level, though it is not that way at UT.  With that known, I'd like to eventually pursue an M.A. in English, with the certificate of Medieval Studies.
 It is an unfortunate fact that many Medieval Study programs in this country are currently liberal. I was warned this by a close friend some years ago.

 Next year, I will be enrolling online for my undergraduate in English. All prayers will be appreciated.

A Review of The Enchiridion: On Faith, Hope, and Charity

About a year ago I finished a lesser well known work of Saint Augustine, that is greatly appreciated by many scholars. I have read this work twice, and believe it to my favorite of those Augustine works that I have yet finished.
 The Enchiridion covers many theological issues including: is it ever morally right to lie?, the manner of how Free Will was lost at the fall, why some are predestined to hell, that God willed all those that are saved to be saved, the existence of Purgatory, and other topics.
 It is no wonder that Augustine's theology had great influence on Martin Luther and John Calvin, thought it should be noted, that Calvin clearly taught things that Augustine had never taught. While I'm pretty sure all would agree that the freedom of the will to not sin was lost by man after the fall, until he is called and made righteous before God, Augustine and Calvin would principally differ on two main areas: Augustine taught that man can justified and lose it, and Augustine taught that God's predestination of the damned is based on their demerits.  Calvin on the other hand, believed justification could never be lost, and that God's predestination of the damned was for His own glory alone. While Luther and Augustine would share much in common, they too would have differences. Luther would not teach the concept of mortal or venial sin as Augustine had believed. I'd like to get more into justification, predestination, free will, etc, in the future, particularity by describing these men's beliefs from their actual words. While I have read some from Luther and Calvin, I have read much more from Augustine, and no wonder, since I pretty well agree with Saint Augustine on every issue that I know of.
 For now, I will just say that all these issues are covered in this book. One of my favorite theological subjects is the free will of man, which is highly controversial among Christians.

Check out The Enchiridion: On Faith, Hope, and Charity. It is one of my favorites! 

Some Reasons I like Tolkien's Middle Earth

 I have read The Hobbit, The Fall of Arthur, and The Children of Hurrin by J. R. R. Tolkien. More recently, I have finished reading The Lord of the Rings with my sister, Whitney. As a big Tolkien fan, I have read about the lives of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien for a very a longtime. The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite books { yes, it's one book, not three}.
 That said, I have seen all the American adaptions of The Hobbit and LOTR on screen that I am aware of. I like the cartoons from Warner Brother and Rankin Bass, as well as the live actions films by Peter Jackson.
 I love The Chronicles of Narnia, but I really think The Lord of the Rings is more beautifully written. Tolkien was truly a master of the English language. His stories are very poetic, written in a strong rhythm like you find in fine music, for each chapter does not miss a beat of being a worthwhile read. Aside from it's style, LOTR is also quite spiritual without being allegorical. Many Catholic elements are found in Lord of the Rings as one would expect of such a traditional Roman Catholic. Tolkien was skeptical of Vatican II, The Mass being in the vernacular., and those changes he saw in both the world and the church near the end of his life. 
 Tolkien like C. S. Lewis was also homeschooled, something of course that I relate too. Like Lewis, he had a close relationship to his mother, and was fascinated by stories from a young age. It is no wonder that he later when on to be an English professor again like Lewis.
 Without getting too much more into Tolkien's life, perhaps the topic of a future post, let me add that I love the Medievalism of Tolkien's works. Yes, I am a Tolkien fan, and always will be.

Bibles of the English Reformation: The King James Bible

   ''For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'' -John 3: 16, KJV.

    Brought on by Anglican and Puritan translators, The King James Version of the Bible was the most commonly used book by Colonial Americans. Called also The Authorized Version, or AV, The King James Version of the Bible is possible the most important work written in the English language.

                                 

King James in the above picture. 

This is my last post on the Bibles of the English Reformation. Tonight, I will focus on the literary work found in the King James Version, alongside the history that saw it's production.
 The King James Version of the Bible is the most sold book in the history of the world, with estimations of at least one billion in sales. Many presidents have sworn on it, and it has naturally become a part of English Language and Literature. The King James Version of the Bible has no copyright, which also explains it's availability at so massive of sails in the public market. For centuries, The King James Version of the Bible was valued by Protestants, though generally seen more negatively by American Roman Catholics, whom objected to the demand of American schools for their own children to read The King James Version.  Still Bishop Challoner, took from The King James Version of the Bible to produce a revised edition of The Douay Rheims Bible. 
 From time to time, though perhaps less common now than ever, some people may here about The King James Only debate. I of course have no interest in getting into the theological debate here of whether or not The King James Version of the Bible is the alone inspired Word of God. As I commonly do, I like to post about historical facts rather than theological opinions, and to share thoughts on great literary works of the past.

1611 would mark the year of The King James Bible's publication. 

1. The History of the King James Version of the Bible

King James I of England had greatly opposed the The Geneva Bible, which he despised, despite it's great popularity among the reformed English. The king has been reported to have disliked the Geneva Bible, primarily for it's notes, which supported Republicanism. Many Puritans came to agree England needed a Bible that the English and Scottish would both use, and King James would make sure that no notes would be part of his Bible translation, as he wanted a Bible that all Christians could use. 

 In 1604, King James assembled a synod to discuss the work of making a new English Bible. He appointed nearly fifty scholars, that were separated in about a handful of groups, as he commended them to make a conservative translation. This new translation was compiled by many scholars from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and it took great influence from the previous Bible scholars, William Tyndale, and Myles Coverdale. Taking it's influence greatly from The Latin Vulgate, The Textus Receptus, and The Masoretic Text, The AV brought some of the best manuscripts and scholars of it's day to produce a great literary work. 

2. The Literary achievement of the King James Bible

One of the most significant differences from The King James Version in comparison to other Protestant versions is it's more moderate understanding of subjects like monarchy and good works. The King James Bible retained the use of ''Charity'' rather than ''Love'' in 1 Corinthians 13. This is more significant than many modern readers may expect, for charity implies good works, and marks The King James Version as closer in the middle of Roman Catholic and Protestant translations, despite still being Protestant. In Romans 13, The KJV says those that go against the goverment shall be damned, in contrast to simply being ''punished'' as was taught by The Geneva Bible.  In those senses, The King James Version was the most conservative Protestant Bible. The AV was clearly pro-monarchy. 

Perhaps, most significant is the fact that even today, it is still the basis for essentially all other English Bibles. The AV has become an authority all it's own.  Even though many King James Bibles now include notes in them, and have removed the Apocrypha, this was not the intent of the original translators, that made a most moderate version of the Bible in English. It is understandably then, that The King James Bible, is quite universally accepted among many Christians. 

3. Sources: In the Begining by Alister Mcgrath, The Nortan Anthology of English Literature, English Literature by Benjamin W. Griffith. 

                                                                           4. Final Summary



With all that said, I appreciate the great work of the translators of England's masterpiece. I also look forward to moving on to writing and researching new subjects of literature. I hope you enjoyed this series on the Bibles of the English Reformation. Blessings, Josh.