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    Majestie: The King Behind the King James Bible
    Majestie: The King Behind the King James Bible
    Majestie: The King Behind the King James Bible
    Ebook291 pages10 hours

    Majestie: The King Behind the King James Bible

    By David Teems

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    In the Beginning, James.

    Orphaned, bullied, lonely, and unloved as a boy, in time the young King of Scots overcame his troubled beginnings to ascend the English throne at the height of England’s Golden Age. In an effort to pacify rising tensions in the Anglican Church, and to reflect the majesty of his new reign, he spearheaded the most important literary undertaking in Western history—the translation of the Bible into a beautiful, lyrical, and accessible English.

    David Teems’s narrative crackles with wit, using a thoroughly modern tongue to reanimate the life of this seventeenth century king—a man at the intersection of political, literary, and religious thought, yet a man of contrasts, dubbed by one French king as “the wisest fool in Christendom.”

    Warm, insightful, even at times amusing, Teems’s depiction of King James has all the elements of a grand tale—conspiracy, kidnapping, witchcraft, murder, love, despair, loss. Majestie offers an engaging new look at the world’s most cherished, revered, and influential translation of Sacred Writ and the king behind it.

     

     “Engrossing and entertaining…a delightful read in every way.” – Publishers Weekly

     

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateOct 18, 2010
    ISBN9781595553812
    Author

    David Teems

    Recording artist, songwriter, and speaker,David Teemsis the author of Tyndale: The ManWho Gave God an English Voice , Majestie:The King Behind the King James Bible , ToLove is Christ , Discovering YourSpiritual Center , and And TherebyHangs a Tale . Teems earned his BA in Psychology at Georgia StateUniversity. David and his wife Benita live in Franklin, Tennessee near theirsons Adam and Shad.

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    3/5

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    • 4/5
      David Teems has done his research on the King whose name would stand the test of time for the protestant bible he instigated and supported. Unlike normal books on history this is written in more of a conversational tone of a discussion one would expect in a coffee shop with modern references. This does not take away from the research and facts compiled but may not be to the taste at first sight to the student of history. The book flows and is very easy to read as if design for the modern watcher of TV mini seriesDavid Teems has done his research on the King whose name would stand the test of time for the protestant bible he instigated and supported. Unlike normal books on history this is written in more of a conversational tone of a discussion one would expect in a coffee shop with modern references. This does not take away from the research and facts compiled but may not be to the taste at first sight to the student of history. The book flows and is very easy to read as if design for the modern watcher of TV mini seriesThe first two thirds of the book is a biography of James Stuart who became James the VI of Scotland and then James I of England. He coined the term and by his will created Great Britain. His biography begins from before his birth as his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, has a pistol placed upon "her swollen belly." From his birth when taken from his mother and raised by instructors and persons chosen by the Scottish council and the Kirk. James Stuart lives a life alone with his tutors. His mother is forced to abdicate her throne and the boy is crowned king of Scotland. His life is chronicled with all the duplicity and scheming that surrounded him from before his birth until he ascends to the thrown of England while keeping the crown of Scotland and orders that a new bible be written in the vulgar language. An endeavor in his enthusiasm and impatience he pushed forward this new translation that he thought would unite the Christian faiths in what was common among them; Jesus Christ. The Biography of King James ends with the translation and binding of the first edition of the King James Bible (KJV) though his later life is briefly summarized. The last third of the book takes a more scholarly approach as it discusses not only how King James was the originator and driving force for the KJV of the bible but chronicles the painstaking procedure taken to render an accurate translation. It is interesting how with all the scholarly might placed into the production of this book that sound pleasing to the ear when read took precedent over accurate translation. The background of those involved in this translation are documented briefly and the procedure used to produced the finished product is explained. The KJV is a bible that was designed to be read aloud to an English speaking people.What is amazing is that after all this hard work that when the King ordered the KJV of the bible be printed their were so many errors in each printing that they are too numerous to count and that no two printing runs of the KJV was the same. It is also pointed out that the only authorization ever given for this edition of the bible comes from King James himself. And that has come into the minds of people through this very day as the bible being called the Authorized Version of the KJV. The author does show various passages as they were translated into English over time and how they changed. These translation show the progression and are a welcomed addition to this work.I would like to read a biography of King James and this time period that takes more scholarly approach in the book then the former two-thirds written here. A version that shows the King as he truly was and his true impact instead of writing in awe of this isolated self-involved man. The author seems too involved to be objective of this man who ruled Great Britain.
    • 3/5
      I have often wondered about the man who commissioned the work that resulted in the King James Bible. I was afraid of what I might find. And rightly so. Who is King James and why did he take on the momenteous job of writing the the King James Version of the Bible? This book is good at explaining who James I of England was and why he took on this task. Not an easy man to like or even to understand, King James was a force of nature that was the right man for the right job at the right time. As the King James Bible approaches its 400 year landmark we can see the force and the power of it has only grown through time. One has to understand not only James I but also Elizabeth I, his predecessor, to understand the time, the atmostphere and the reason for the King James translation. The author moves in and out of modern language, Latin, Hebrew, and a Scots brogue that lends interest and authencity to the narrative. It is not a bad place to start is you want to learn about the King who commissioned the present day Protestant Holy Bible.

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