Cathy and I had a day off today, and drove down the M6/M1 to Lutterworth, in Leicestershire. There were a couple of reasons for doing that today.
The first is that today was the final day of a highly successful exhibition in the Chapter House of Lichfield Cathedral to mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James' Bible. For the last five weeks, visitors have been treated to a display of some of the key treasures from our own historic library, including not only two first edition 1611 Bibles, but also four other manuscript and early printed English Bibles, which together tell the 200 year 'backstory' to the Authorised Version: a Wycliffe manuscript dating from about 1410, a first edition Henry VIII 'Great Bible' of 1539, the 1540 version with Archbishop Thomas Cranmer's famous preface about the value of the vernacular Bible, a sixteenth century Geneva (or 'Breeches') Bible.
That 200 'journey' might be said to have begun in Lutterworth -- that is, at least, where John Wycliffe was vicar for the last decade of his life (he died in 1384). It was there that his bones were dug up and burned when he was declared a heretic in 1408, before the dust of his remains were scattered into the River Swift so that his followers would have no shrine to visit. We still managed a little pilgrimage and were offered a warm welcome at St Mary's Church by a 'reader' who took time to show us a cope believed to have been worn by Wycliffe, his pulpit and chair. She was refreshingly at pains to point out that St Mary's is not a museum, however, but a thriving place of worship today.
The second reason for our visit to Lutterworth is that I have a new book due out in a couple of weeks, which is to be published by 'Lutterworth Press'. The press is 'one of the oldest independent British publishing houses' and must surely be so-named somehow in Wycliffe's honour. My book is a sequel to one which was published by Paternoster a couple of years ago, called 'Walking the Walk: the Rise of King David for Today'. This one is, inevitably, called 'Talking the Talk: the Fall of King David for Today'. It's an attempt to provide a literary and theological reading of the well-known bible story, with an eye on contemporary application. It'll be 'launched' at a party here at the Cathedral on Saturday 30 April in the evening, and anyone wishing to get an invitation can contact sales@lutterworth.com.
