ENGLISH BIBLICAL DISCOURSE: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Abstract
The article is devoted to the evolution of the English Biblical discourse from its genesis in the 7thcentury to it going global in the 21st century. This paper focuses on the landmark events and linguistic environments that influenced the formation of the English Biblical discourse starting with the baptism of the Isles, first glosses, the role of Alfred the Great in the promotion of religious texts in English, then it concentrates on the Norman Conquest – the event that pushed English and English Biblical Discourse underground, finally paying attention to the resurrection of English and English Biblical Discourse, first translations of the Bible into English, their authors (John Wycliffe and William Tyndale) and stylistic peculiarities, Reformation, broken ties with Rome and Catholicism, and switch to Protestantism. This is Protestantism in particular that stimulated the formation of the national church as an institution, the inclination towards English in religious rites and commissioning of English versions of the Bible authorized by kings or authorities.
The first Authorized Version (King James Version) was published in 1611, followed by multiple versions both in the USA and the UK. In 2011 New International Version was released, signifying the birth of the English Globalized Biblical Discourse that rises above the national varieties. Consequently, the events presented in the article allowed developing the periodization of the English Biblical discourse consisting of six main periods of its evolution: formation, stagnation, restoration, establishment, spread and formation of national varieties, globalization.
References
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