Tuesday, June 05, 2012

The Ploughman's Bible

"Apple of my eye," "cool of the day," "fat of the lamb," "man of sorrows."  Whether or not we thank William Tyndale for such formulations, Brett Foster points out that the London theater community has in Written on the Heart, a fascinating peak behind the King James Bible, before (in Foster's words) the ploughman's Bible became the bishop's. "Were the bright lights of the West End actually shining upon figures and matters of great importance to Protestants and all English-speaking Christians?"  Well, yes: 
"I [Tyndale] am still here." It is a welcomed thing to hear, and to be reminded of, in this distracting, forward-looking day and age, when pastors are more likely to keep on their nightstand motivational books and ones on the latest business leadership methods, rather than writings by the desert fathers or Anglican divines, or Flannery O'Connor or Frederick Buechner for that matter. Edgar's Written on the Heart does a surprisingly engaging job of contributing to Tyndale's ongoing presence, whose example is still needed.
Is he really suggesting that the London theatre season in 2512 won't be staging a celebratory performance of Who Moved My Cheese?  Seriously though, the lesson here is that Christians seeking "relevance" (to the point of being featured in London's commercial theater district), might start by discovering their own traditions.