Melyvn Bragg on KJV

On the Telly: Sat 8pm BBC 2 - The King James Bible: The Book that Changed The World

At the Charleston Festival

The Book of Books

Melvyn Bragg

Wednesday 25 May 3.30pm Tickets £12

Four hundred years old and still one of Britain’s biggest exports, the King James Bible has a turbulent history: the 300 year fight to get it translated; the grisly deaths of many of the scholars involved; the drama of the Reformation and the extraordinary life of William Tyndale. Even those unfamiliar with the Authorised Version will use many of its 257 phrases in everyday conversation. Melvyn Bragg discusses the impact of the King James Bible on everything from English language and literature to modern life. Melvyn Bragg, broadcaster, novelist and Life Peer, has had a significant influence on our cultural landscape.

The Nativity

I'll be interested to see The Nativity, a drama about the birth of Christ, Mon 20th - Thurs 23rd Dec, 7-7:30pm, BBC1. Let's hope it gets people talking about Jesus.

The Nationalist faith changed my life

Chanel 4's Young, Angry and White tonight had very interesting momemts. The 19 year old featured, Kieren, thinks the world is badly wrong and that Nationalism has good news. In a way he came across as quite intelligent, articulate and unagressive. He is unashamed of his views, which he thinks of as moral and does not want to compromise. The creed is inspiring to him and he is encouraged by the history of the movement and that some have been believers for 40 years. He is keen to live in accordance with his faith. He spoke explicitly about going to some BNP weekend as if it were like going to a Christian camp and finding an intense new faith. He spoke of Nationalists as a family that gave him purpose, optimism and hope. He spoke of comfort and belonging and the warm welcome that he received. The BNP does seem to have changed his life and made him take responsibility. He is studying for his A-levels, wants to go to university, succeed, have a good career and be the bread-winner of his future family.

Of course, his views are stupid and poisonous. They amount to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all.

The World's Strictest Parents

I thought the Bible-believing Christians from Alabama did a great job of having 2 unruly British teenagers stay with them for a week for The World's Strictest Parents (which was on BBC 1 tonight).

The teenage boy described himself as gay and the family seemed to cope with that!

Both kids left having found some things hard, and there was plenty of cursing along the way, but in the end they were sorry to leave the family and very thankful to them for the experience. They went home wanting so say "thank you" to their parents and show them more respect, help out at home etc. having discovered that they'd been rather selfish and self-absorbed prior to this programme was made. The boy said he wanted to get back to the happy smiley person he'd been before he became negative with his parents etc.

The family aimed to show unconditional love in an atmosphere of fun and respect with clear boundaries. The Christian guy lost his cool a bit at one point, but he and the girl seemed to apologise and make up the next day. It was very clear the family were on the kids' side and wanted the best for them.

The girl spoke of the man's sincerity and how she found she could talk to him and so on.

The family's own 3 kids seemed happy and well adjusted and the man spoke movingly about his own relationship with his father and previous problems with alcohol dependency etc.

Very highly recommended.