Wide as the Waters
The American Revolution was an event that changed the world. Its spirit of rising up against a tyrant spread like wildfire, causing democratic revolutions worldwide. It was an event inspired and sparked by many things, but one of its causes that many people don’t know about is the creation of the English Bible. Wide as the Waters follows the advent of the English Bible, and its effect on revolution in the country. It talks about how religion brought people together to discuss this new idea of democracy and equality that was taking hold. It also covers how the church of the time both oppressed democracy, and conversely, spread the idea of freedom.
The history of the Bible goes back millennia. First written down in Hebrew, it was translated from the various dialects of Jesus’ time. It was translated into Greek when the Greek Empire spread throughout the Mediterranean. When Greek’s Empire fell, and the Romans spread, it was translated into Latin. Throughout each
translation, the text was corrupted, and then revised by St. Jerome. The church used this Latin version, called the Vulgate, for centuries, until about the thirteen-hundreds.
In the fourteenth century, John Wycliffe was born. Considered the “Father of the English Bible,” he was the first to officially endorse an English translation, around the year 1380. A revered intellectual of the time, he taught at Oxford College for decades. After his first translations of the Bible into English, he developed a following; the idea of an English Bible was a popular one, as the common man couldn’t read Latin. They called themselves “Lollards,” and were heavily persecuted. This is the first instance in the book we see of persecution of religious freedom by the Church. The Church at this time was supreme, and it did not want anybody questioning what they said. And if nobody could read the Bible, nobody could question the Church’s interpretation of it.
Wycliffe eventually died, but his ideas did not die with him. The Church successfully suppressed the growth of the Lollard movement
until the sixteenth century. During this time William Tyndale entered the intellectual world. He studied languages extensively and was considered a sort of genius at them. He was born and taught during the time that the wider Reformation movement was taking root, and its ideas heavily influenced his concept of freedom. He had studied Wycliffe’s translations, and was inspired by the idea of an English Bible; so he started his own. The Church got wind of this and began hounding him to stop. He had to constantly move from country to country, safe place to safe place. During his travels he met Luther, the leading protestant reformer in Germany. He eventually got his work done, with Luther’s help, and it was secretly shipped into England.
Once the English Bibles arrived, demand for them increased rapidly. People were crazy for the idea of being able to read the Bibles for themselves, for the freedom of deciding for themselves. It changed their lives once they did. They now could interpret the text for themselves. Think for themselves. Tyndale could not get the illegal books shipped in fast enough. The Church was extremely upset by the influx of English Bibles, and began a witch hunt for the books and their keepers. Countless people were interrogated and burned at the stake. All for simply reading this book. Dissent was not something welcomed by the Church of the time.
The Church during this time was corrupt, and an institution that oppressed the people. They sold things called “indulgences.” Indulgences were basically pardons for your sins that you paid for. So rich people got off easy, while the poor were convinced they would go to hell for not paying. It scared people when they couldn’t pay, and needless to say it was an enormous source of income for the already grossly wealthy Church. The Papacy also heavily taxed any country that wanted to be part of the Catholic Church. If a country couldn’t pay, they were in debt to Rome and the Papacy. Church officials had a lot of power, and used it in their interest.
Now that the Church had this power and wealth, they were unwilling to give it up. They did not welcome dissenters and reformers, and often had them put to death. They severely limited the free thought and speech of their subjects to maintain their monopoly on power. But the democratic ideas of the Reformation were already out there, and spreading fast. This and the advent of the English Bible and its spirit of questioning authority it created was a catastrophe to them. From this emerged the two main ideologies, Catholic vs. Protestant. This fight between the Papacy and reformers would tear people and the country apart.
At first the Protestants were a general group of people who opposed the “popish” practices of the corrupt Catholic Church. However over a short period of time they centered themselves around their own interpretation of the text, and the belief that everyone has the right to read it in their own way. They held many democratic ideals. They became a movement, even a political force, which fought for what they believed in. They were heavily persecuted; the Church still had enormous political power. During the reign of Queen Mary, they were burned at the stake in droves. They had a brief respite during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who encouraged religious tolerance. However when James I came to power, he continued prosecution on them. He eventually drove some out of the country, which is how the Puritans, a sect of Protestantism, came to America.
When they came to America, they brought their ideals with them. Their vision of a democratic (although heavily theological) society can be seen in the Mayflower Compact, the constitution they set up upon arriving in America. The Mayflower Compact set up a democratic society, without the tyrant of a church or monarchial power. Although their democracy was not yet perfect, they were on the path that would lead to the American Revolution. The ideals they took from the revolution of the English Bible were already making their appearance in American government.
The spirit of democracy grew in America, starting with the first Puritans that arrived, and was encouraged by the age of salutary neglect. During salutary neglect, Britain pretty much left the American colonies to govern themselves, and the Americans chose a democratic set up. People were happy with this set up. When Britain decided to tighten the reins on America, and get rid of what they had built, that spirit of revolution against tyrants came up again, and led to the revolutionary war, and the setting up of our modern democratic society.
The emergence of an English Bible fostered a feeling of independence and individualism in Christians. They had long been under the thumb of the Monarchy and Church, and their own interpretations of the English Bible gave them a way to fight those who were oppressing them. Their new freedom led to democratic ideals taking root, and they began to fight for those too. Their religion and their fight for the right to practice it fed the growth of democracy among the common man. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, had been corrupted for a very long time. They abused their power, and used it to oppress the lower classes. They continued to use it to try and fight the reformers and Protestants, and ultimately used it to drive them out of the country. They were an institution that oppressed their people, but at the same time gave the oppressed people a reason and a means, the English Bible, to fight oppression. Their fight and its results carried over into America’s Revolution, and even farther, into the democracies of today.
The history of the Bible goes back millennia. First written down in Hebrew, it was translated from the various dialects of Jesus’ time. It was translated into Greek when the Greek Empire spread throughout the Mediterranean. When Greek’s Empire fell, and the Romans spread, it was translated into Latin. Throughout each
translation, the text was corrupted, and then revised by St. Jerome. The church used this Latin version, called the Vulgate, for centuries, until about the thirteen-hundreds.
In the fourteenth century, John Wycliffe was born. Considered the “Father of the English Bible,” he was the first to officially endorse an English translation, around the year 1380. A revered intellectual of the time, he taught at Oxford College for decades. After his first translations of the Bible into English, he developed a following; the idea of an English Bible was a popular one, as the common man couldn’t read Latin. They called themselves “Lollards,” and were heavily persecuted. This is the first instance in the book we see of persecution of religious freedom by the Church. The Church at this time was supreme, and it did not want anybody questioning what they said. And if nobody could read the Bible, nobody could question the Church’s interpretation of it.
Wycliffe eventually died, but his ideas did not die with him. The Church successfully suppressed the growth of the Lollard movement
until the sixteenth century. During this time William Tyndale entered the intellectual world. He studied languages extensively and was considered a sort of genius at them. He was born and taught during the time that the wider Reformation movement was taking root, and its ideas heavily influenced his concept of freedom. He had studied Wycliffe’s translations, and was inspired by the idea of an English Bible; so he started his own. The Church got wind of this and began hounding him to stop. He had to constantly move from country to country, safe place to safe place. During his travels he met Luther, the leading protestant reformer in Germany. He eventually got his work done, with Luther’s help, and it was secretly shipped into England.
Once the English Bibles arrived, demand for them increased rapidly. People were crazy for the idea of being able to read the Bibles for themselves, for the freedom of deciding for themselves. It changed their lives once they did. They now could interpret the text for themselves. Think for themselves. Tyndale could not get the illegal books shipped in fast enough. The Church was extremely upset by the influx of English Bibles, and began a witch hunt for the books and their keepers. Countless people were interrogated and burned at the stake. All for simply reading this book. Dissent was not something welcomed by the Church of the time.
The Church during this time was corrupt, and an institution that oppressed the people. They sold things called “indulgences.” Indulgences were basically pardons for your sins that you paid for. So rich people got off easy, while the poor were convinced they would go to hell for not paying. It scared people when they couldn’t pay, and needless to say it was an enormous source of income for the already grossly wealthy Church. The Papacy also heavily taxed any country that wanted to be part of the Catholic Church. If a country couldn’t pay, they were in debt to Rome and the Papacy. Church officials had a lot of power, and used it in their interest.
Now that the Church had this power and wealth, they were unwilling to give it up. They did not welcome dissenters and reformers, and often had them put to death. They severely limited the free thought and speech of their subjects to maintain their monopoly on power. But the democratic ideas of the Reformation were already out there, and spreading fast. This and the advent of the English Bible and its spirit of questioning authority it created was a catastrophe to them. From this emerged the two main ideologies, Catholic vs. Protestant. This fight between the Papacy and reformers would tear people and the country apart.
At first the Protestants were a general group of people who opposed the “popish” practices of the corrupt Catholic Church. However over a short period of time they centered themselves around their own interpretation of the text, and the belief that everyone has the right to read it in their own way. They held many democratic ideals. They became a movement, even a political force, which fought for what they believed in. They were heavily persecuted; the Church still had enormous political power. During the reign of Queen Mary, they were burned at the stake in droves. They had a brief respite during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who encouraged religious tolerance. However when James I came to power, he continued prosecution on them. He eventually drove some out of the country, which is how the Puritans, a sect of Protestantism, came to America.
When they came to America, they brought their ideals with them. Their vision of a democratic (although heavily theological) society can be seen in the Mayflower Compact, the constitution they set up upon arriving in America. The Mayflower Compact set up a democratic society, without the tyrant of a church or monarchial power. Although their democracy was not yet perfect, they were on the path that would lead to the American Revolution. The ideals they took from the revolution of the English Bible were already making their appearance in American government.
The spirit of democracy grew in America, starting with the first Puritans that arrived, and was encouraged by the age of salutary neglect. During salutary neglect, Britain pretty much left the American colonies to govern themselves, and the Americans chose a democratic set up. People were happy with this set up. When Britain decided to tighten the reins on America, and get rid of what they had built, that spirit of revolution against tyrants came up again, and led to the revolutionary war, and the setting up of our modern democratic society.
The emergence of an English Bible fostered a feeling of independence and individualism in Christians. They had long been under the thumb of the Monarchy and Church, and their own interpretations of the English Bible gave them a way to fight those who were oppressing them. Their new freedom led to democratic ideals taking root, and they began to fight for those too. Their religion and their fight for the right to practice it fed the growth of democracy among the common man. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, had been corrupted for a very long time. They abused their power, and used it to oppress the lower classes. They continued to use it to try and fight the reformers and Protestants, and ultimately used it to drive them out of the country. They were an institution that oppressed their people, but at the same time gave the oppressed people a reason and a means, the English Bible, to fight oppression. Their fight and its results carried over into America’s Revolution, and even farther, into the democracies of today.