Because I knew next to nothing about the Bible entering college, I was woefully ill equipped as an English major. 30 years of consistent Bible reading and study has now opened up the world of literature. I'm reading Moby Dick for the first time, and it's thrilling to recognize and enjoy his nonstop wonderful allusions. And when I read his story Bartleby the Scrivener, I wondered if Melville had Jesus' words from Luke 25 in mind. I'm persuaded. My 2024 goal will be to focus on the KJV specifically, which I've never read as a whole. I would love to learn how to enjoy and know the Scriptures both as God's revealed word and as a work great literature itself. Thanks so much for sharing.
Good for you. I re-read the Bible every three of four years - it's easier each time - tho I've no plans right now to re-read Moby Dick. It's a difficult read - often boring - but it's also the kind of novel stays with you forever. Enjoy!
I'd recommend the Yale's course Introduction to the New Testament. It's available here on RU-vid - It provides the historical/objective knowledge about these texts. It is not how authors understood it, but I do think it is an enriching knowledge.
As a 19 yo French student in English literature whose English teachers are very much French and not keen on the Bible, I couldn’t thank you enough for sharing those lectures freely on the Internet. I treated it as a regular class and took notes, it was so interesting! I have always felt that I was missing something in my understanding of English lit, but I feel a lot more secure now that I have some knowledge of the KJV. I will definitely make my way through all of your videos. It’s life saving really, especially when teachers focus on students’ command of English more than on literature. Thank you!
I really recommend you to read the KJV Bible because it's actually not hard to understand at all. From a linguistical point of view it's a superb and yet at the same time a surprisingly easy to read work. As a fellow fan of the English literature I can surely say that's been the most eye-opening (in a non-religious sense) book for me!
I cannot thank you enough for what you've been doing, Adam. Really. As a prospective Modern Languages and Literatures student (in Brazil we call it "Letters" lol), your videos are making me more and more sure about this decision. Ty
Adam, Ever since starting this lecture series with you-many thanks by the way, it's excellent-I've been looking for Biblical allusions in the poetry I read. Just this morning I found the following in the poetry of James Thomson. Thought I'd share with you and your viewers. Re: dust and death from Genesis 3 19 and in conversation with the Vaughn (34:24). Keats and Shelley sleep at Rome, She in well-loved Tuscan earth; Finding all their death's long home Far from their old home birth. Italy, you hold in trust Very sacred English dust. - James Thomson, "E.B.B."* *Elizabeth Barret Browning
I'd love for you to go through Dante's four levels of reading the bible - that interpretation can take place on four levels: the literal, the allegorical, the moral, and the anagogical.
You've just come up in my recommended videos and I'm so happy you did. I'm an avid reader of poetry, though it's mostly contemporary works. But I've just binged a lot of your Shakespeare videos as I've recently gotten into his Sonnets. You have such an incredible and inclusive way of describing poetry, which is hard to come in academia believe it or not. Most lecturers (especially young ones) want to show off their intellect. So thank-you for that! While I'm here, i also watched your video on poetry books for beginners, which was great and very helpful. But I'd also love to know which poetry collections you'd recommend to readers who want to learn close reading. Are there some that you'd consider introductory texts? and also, possibly some contemporary collections you'd recommend!
Thanks for this kind note! I'll have to put together a list of books and maybe offer another video. Vendler's book has a great variety of contemporary poets (not my forte) as does Mary Kinzie's "A Poet's Guide to Poetry" (which was not included on the list).
KJV and Shakespeare and arguably Milton (albeit slightly later) out of the same generation, 'monuments' (loved his use of the word) of our language from what was then a European backwater. The beauty and the improbability.
16:36: With the idea that the shorter the passage is, the better, wouldn't that argue more for the Geneva translation's "darkness was upon the deep" versus the KJV's "darkness was upon the face of the deep?" I vastly prefer the KJV passage myself, but it seems clear that brevity isn't really the, er, alpha and omega of what makes this passage so great.
As a humble high school lit teacher, I’ve found the same thing. I’m frequently teaching bible stories and theology so kids understand what they are reading. Next year I might implement a bible reading plan😂! Thanks, Adam.
Happy new year mr Adam . Thank you for your wonderful cultural literary channel. I gathered main information about topic you mentioned briefly here it’s actually bible has influenced authors in various aspects poets , writers taken scene from scripture as subject or poems or story . There are three main types of literature in bible narrative. That makes up whopping 43 percent of bible after poetry that , which 33 percent of bible . And than what you could call prose discourse . Shakespeare wrote religious plays such as as well that ends well , Henry v111 , love labour lost , merchant of Venice are set in Christian world but he also wrote many plays non Christian deities such as Antony and cleopatra , Cymbeline. For several decades some theorists have suggested that Shakespeare placed his mark on translated text of psalm 46 that appears in King James Bible , although many scholars view this unlikely, stating that translations were probably agreed upon by committee of scholars. Thank you for giving us chance to read learn new information and improve our English as well . Best wishes for you your loved ones .
Bible is beautiful book. Psalms, Lamentations, Gospels & Epistles are books are read from regularly, though mainly in Latin. Authorised Version of Psalms is wonderful English translation & perhaps other than Latin Psalmi the translation I love. I am familiar with Benedictine interpretation of Song of Songs (Canticum Canticorum) which is favourite of Late Classical & Medieval monastics - many commentaries have been written on this poem. 'Trahe me, post te currimus ..' [Draw me and we will run after thee] Cant 1:3
42:55: Am I going crazy? This is a sex poem, right? Are we not mentioning that? I don't find the metaphor to be particularly delicate, exactly, but I do think the parallel with the passing of the blame in Genesis is a keen insight.
UPDATE: They loved it! We followed up by reading all of Howl and they were really able to see the lines you're drawing back to Whitman and a biblical tradition.
Thank you Adam for a hour or so's worth of thought provoking references. It being only the first lecture one cannot know precisely what the ultimate aim is tho for me there was a sense of jumping about - for example from Eden to Howl - that was at times jarring. And while I do like the attempt to stimulate the beginnings of original thought that only deep readings can produce, personally I like the occasional idea offered and defended. Well, I expect to see the next few of these so hopefully I'll catch up. In the meantime, Thx again.
I really love how your content is so helpful and not gated because to a broke unemployed person with a passion for literature and art, you just bring so much joy. Additionally, you’re helping me review the material I need to apply for a master’s program. Seriously, thank you so much.
Thank you so much. I did the IB program in HS and in 10th grade we studied the Old Testament as literature since it was in tandem with our western civ class. We also read classical literature and early Islamic texts first semester. It’s so important as an academic to know how the Bible shaped ideas, history, and literature in western civilization. No parent objected which I can’t see now. I went into science, but even scientists had a relationship with the Bible and it affected their research/beliefs. Thank you for this! Biblical allegory is everywhere in writing.
What KJV would you recommend to get? Is the original 1611 with the archaic spelling, like the Oxford University Press 400th anniversary edition, the best choice if one is not bothered by the archaic spelling of some letters? Or would you rather go with something that has modern spelling with the original 1611 text as closely followed as possible?
You are highly gifted in explaining with great clarity as well as making it a wonderfully enjoyable experience. I’ve listened to this video several times because I find it not only informative but calming. Thank you.
I'm from Russia. I am very interested in poetry and the English language separately and together. Yesterday we celebrated Orthodox Christmas. Your video was a sweet, welcome addition to the celebration. I watch it little by little to understand and feel it. Thank you!
As a Muslim who read the Quran once, I find Biblical narratives of creation , etc absolutely familiar. Quran is a major influence on the Arabic literature specifically poetry just as Bible KJV on English literature. Paralllel & deviation are features that adorn religious & literary works in multiple levels stylistically, semantically & narratively. Regarding the Bible as a literature or as a revelation, I can relate to Jews & Christians if they'd be offended to label their holy scriptures as literary pieces because it's considering them as fiction which is not true even if they sound realist or fantasy in their content. However, there's a clime of literariness or literary features in the structure of the Bible. Genesis first quote I still remember it when I read it in one of my courses during the uni which is called Voices & Texts & it emphasises how the English Literary Canon is actually rooted in the Biblical Canon. Thank you so much for sharing with us your lectures via RU-vid & much appreciated for thy efforts in showing us how some literary texts are inspired by other ones that are authoritative as the Bible. Looking forward to thy next lecture.
Call me picky if you like. The Bishops Bible was the approved version & model for the King James translators. and another thing - the King James Bible, The works of Shakespeare & John Florio's version or Montaigne are the three primary influences on the Englilsh language. That is, they are the published worrks that provide more words, phrases, quotes and language elements to the English language. They form our culture. What we write and read forms our literary culture. Amusing thought, The Biships Bible translattes "treacle" (meaning molasses) what King James Bible called balm, so if we were influenced by it, would we sing: there is molasses in Gilead in place of There is a balm in Gilead. Even porse in the KJB comes out as poetry.. Now isn't that divine!
@austinhelix9739 The Bishops Bible was certainly not the model for the KJV. It's thought to have contributed about 8% to the KJV. See Adam Nicolson on this. I think The Bishops Bible a pretty poor translation -- the molasses you mention is interesting. To add: where the KJV translates "Cast your bread upon the water," the Bishops reads "Lay thy bread upon wet faces." Anyway, King James disliked the Geneva Bible because of its footnotes and commentary, so it's possible that the Bishops Bible was preferred by him; but it wasn't the translators' first choice or model.
I think the bible would benefit from starting off with "Of course we might be wrong, but in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...." (Brian Cox)
I understand that it's hard not to understate the importance of the bible in literature but I just refuse to read it on principle. It's brought me too much pain
