Fires of Faith: 400th Year Anniversary of King James Bible

On Oct. 16, Fires of Faith: The Coming Forth of The King James Bible celebrates 400th year anniversary, capturing book's violent birth and enduring influence through historically accurate reenactments and interviews with leading scholars


PROVO, Utah, Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BYUtv today announced that it will present and air the first U.S. television film series on the making of the King James Bible, coinciding with the 400th anniversary of its translation. Celebrated for its enduring and widespread use, the King James Bible has had immeasurable impact on religion, language, culture, art and literature. Yet the road to its influence and acceptance was paved with the horrors of humanity.



Produced and directed by filmmaker Lee Groberg, and written by screenwriter Mitch Davis, the three-part documentary and dramatic feature tells the vivid stories of international politics, intrigue, subversion, bloodshed, fire and the runaway libido of King Henry VIII that led to its creation. The King James Bible's profound impact on faith is captured through more than 130 reenactments filmed in eight different countries at many of the actual sites where events originally took place. A prestigious host of 18 international scholars and religious leaders, from the Universities of Notre Dame and Oxford to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, reveal differing perspectives while confirming that the King James Bible's influence is like none other, and that the importance of the translation goes well beyond religion itself.

"Few milestones in history have greater influence and significance than the translation of the Bible into English," said Derek Marquis, executive producer of Fires of Faith and Managing Director of BYUtv. "We knew we couldn't let the 400th anniversary of the seminal English Bible pass without telling the story of how the King James version came to be and why it has endured. The director, writer, actors, scholars and religious leaders in our film combined to create an extraordinary chorus that transcends any one religion to truly celebrate the most influential book of all time."

Fires of Faith is rife with factual Early Modern Era drama that fictional Hollywood would struggle to concoct. Those who sought to translate "God's message" into the English vernacular were seen as heretics, persecuted and ultimately executed. At the forefront of the saga is British religious scholar William Tyndale, who was responsible for the original translations that make up more than 80 percent of the King James Bible's text. His death by strangulation and burning at the stake under King Henry VIII didn't stop his translated words from ultimately reaching a global audience and enduring to this day.

"The power of the story transcends ideological and cultural boundaries," said Mr. Groberg. "Without exception, every person who contributed to this film – regardless of their own particular beliefs or background – was inspired to help us turn back the visual clock and authentically convey the events. Being permitted to use the historic locations where the story actually took place, such as a 4th century monastery in Israel, 800 year-old English castles and 500 year-old European churches, drew in the hundreds of scholars, actors, curators and crew members who worked on the production. We focused on even the smallest details, to inspire the cast and enable the viewers to feel as if they're witnessing history.

Fires of Faith chronicles the cast of characters that were central to the Reformation, including John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, King Henry VIII and "Bloody" Queen Mary I, ultimately culminating with King James I, and his commissioned translation of the Bible. The film crisscrosses a tumultuous Europe at the birth of religious freedom during a time that seemed to consistently involve the burning of something or someone. In one corner or another, an entire continent was on fire.

Historians, theologians and actors transport audiences to an era when the Bible in English was an unlawful possession and reading it resulted in imprisonment. Translating it was a death sentence. The only way to buy one was, literally, under the table on the black market, the same way someone might buy illegal drugs today.

The film's historical narrative parallels modern day insights and influences in the third and final hour of the series, highlighting its effect on music as well people's reactions to it today.

"The phrases and rhythms of the King James Bible have worked their way into wider Anglophone sensibilities and consciousness in ways that no other translation of the Bible has achieved, nor will likely ever achieve," said Brad S. Gregory, Professor of Early Modern History, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, during his interview in the film.

"There is nothing that compares to the classical English literary resource as the King James Bible," said David Rosen, Rabbi, Chief Rabbinate of Israel during his interview in the film. "The closest thing, of course, are the works of Shakespeare and we do relish and treasure Shakespeare. But it doesn't speak to our deepest commitments, as obviously, the Bible does."

"The King James Bible has an amazing tenacity," said Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity, Durham University, England at the conclusion of the film. "It has hung on in the affection of particular churches and of whole peoples in a way that a 400 year old text really shouldn't. I think the King James translators, themselves, would have been amazed that this 400 year old translation is still being used."

Fires of Faith: The Coming Forth of the King James Bible will premiere Oct. 16th on BYUtv, which is a U.S. and worldwide cable/satellite television channel reaching 60 million households.

Specific airtimes are as follows:
Part 1 Fires of Faith: Yearning for the Word
Sunday, Oct. 16, at 8pm ET / 6pm MT & 11pm ET / 9pm MT
Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 9pm ET / 7 MTpm & 12 ETam / 10pm MT

Part 2 Fires of Faith: Martyrs for a Book
Sunday, Oct. 23, at 8pm ET / 6pm MT & 11pm ET / 9pm MT
Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 9pm ET / 7 MTpm & 12am ET / 10pm MT

Part 3 Fires of Faith: The King James Bible
Sunday, Oct. 30, at 8pm ET / 6pm MT & 11pm ET / 9pm MT
Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 9pm ET / 7pm MT & 12am ET / 10pm MT

About BYUtv
Reaching 60 million households in the United States, BYUtv is a global cable/satellite television channel featuring engaging, educational and uplifting content that encourages viewers to "see the good in the world."

Since its launch in January 2000, BYUtv has continued to build an ever-expanding and diverse audience, and has become a powerful tool for sharing enriching entertainment rooted in values and faith.

For more information on the range of BYUtv programs visit byutv.org.

Media Contact:
Brad Thatcher, Thatcher+Co.
bthatcher@thatcherandco.com
Office: (646) 616-0116
Mobile: (917) 304-4937

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You Cannot Be A Christian If You Have Not Met Jesus Christ

The problem of the world of those who live and lie in falsehood in Christendom is the fact that majority of those who claim to be Christians have never met Jesus Christ and you can never be a Christian until you have met Jesus Christ.

What we have in Nigeria and the rest of the world are millions of church goers calling themselves Christians when in reality they are not in truth and in spirit.

You cannot be a Christian and behave like a pagan as most of you do.

You only deceive yourself by making all sorts of excuses for your erroneous and ambiguous practices which expose the truth about you.

We are what we do.
As Jesus Christ said, by their fruits you shall know them.
And not by words of mouth.
Not by how many times you go to church.
Not by how many times you give alms to the beggars and paupers.
Not by the size of your Holy Bible.
Not by how many times you pray, praise or worship HIM.
Not by your hypocritical attempts to be pious.
Not by when you dress to impress others.

The hood does not make the monk.

By your fruits you shall prove who and what you are.

You wonder why Nigeria is in hysteria?
Because of your evils.
What we sow we shall reap.
The fruits of the seeds Nigerians have sown in secret and in public are the harvest of corruption, pollution, poverty, criminality and political instability plaguing Nigeria today.

Majority of the millions posing and posturing as "Christians" are nothing more than Hypocrites at large.

They themselves know they are living in their own conceit and deceit, fooling themselves as they are all engaged in the contests of wits to outsmart themselves in their rat race.

True Christians don't join the rat race when they know their Kingdom Race of true Christianity.

I would rather dine and wine with pagans than fellowship with hypocrites who are pretending to be Christians, but do things that show that they do not even fear God as the pagan fear their idols.

Parents have failed to be good role models for their children as they lie and cheat at home and at work and so their children learn to lie and cheat from their parents and sooner or later join their bandwagon of the morally and intellectually bankrupt and corrupt society.

A society filled by the canker-worms of corruption, made rotten by ill-gotten wealth that only ends in their death and leaving their survivors and victims to continue to face the grave consequences of the wrath of the earth.

The solution is to confess the truth and stop lying and fooling yourselves.
Admit it that you have not met Jesus Christ and say it that you are not Christians.
As Jesus Christ said that if you are neither hot nor cold, he would spit you out!

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth."

~ Revelation 3:16 (King James Version)


How can you meet Jesus Christ?

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

~ John 14:6 (New International Version)

Break down and confess all your sins and evils.

Have you done any evil to anyone?
Have you done evil to any family?
Have you done evil to any people?
Have you done evil to any company?
Have you done evil to any organization?
Have you done evil to any nation?

Then you have done evil to God.

If you want to meet with Jesus Christ.
You must stop doing evil in any form or way whatsoever.
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Then I promise you that the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ will visit you.

But until you do so, I am sorry, you are just fooling yourselves and wasting your time in your religious buffoonery.


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