That the scripture should come to light
That the scripture should come to light
William Tyndale and 500 Years of the English New Testament
Introduction
An exhibition exploring 500 years of the English New Testament, specifically the work and influence of William Tyndale (d. 1536), who translated the first printed English New Testament. The exhibition is titled “‘That the scripture should come to light’: William Tyndale and 500 Years of the English New Testament.” This quotation comes from Tyndale’s letter to his readers in his 1530 English Pentateuch, identifying the theological motivation behind his work. The exhibition seeks to contextualize Tyndale’s translation work within the era of theological and political reform of the early 16th century. The gallery is filled with some of the most significant works ever printed, including early editions of Tyndale’s translation, publications that reacted strongly to his theological act, the Bibles and reference works that served as his sources, and the English translations that continued to draw upon his work. “Must see” items include multiple editions of Erasmus’ Greek New Testament, a first edition of Foxe’s “Book of Martyrs,” early Coverdale Bibles, and a first printing of the King James Bible.
This exhibition was designed in coordination with the library’s annual Morgan Forum, which supplements this exhibition with student presentations on items from the library’s J. Michael Morgan English Bible & Psalmody Collection and a keynote lecture from James Madison University’s Professor Mark Rankin, entitled “William Tyndale’s English New Testament and its Influence on the English Language.”