Norton, David. A History of the English Bible as Literature, pp. 1-114. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

In the following excerpt, Norton chronicles the history of English Bible translation, showing how the English Bible, originally perceived as a theological project, eventually assumed the aura and prestige of an exceptional literary work, and also attracted the attention of England's leading scholars, writers, philosophers, and scientists.

Creators of English

The Challenge to the Translators

To the early reformers, the Bible was a central part of religion hidden from the people in the occult language of the Church, Latin. For the sake of their souls, the people needed the Bible in their own language. So, in the latter part of the fourteenth century, John Wyclif and his followers, the Lollards, translated the Bible from the Latin Vulgate. Then, from 1525 to 1611 came the great period of English Bible translation. Making a fresh start...