400 years of history
Quatercentennial anniversary of KJV Bible celebrated
A film series, a historic display of artifacts and a two-day conference will make up the celebration surrounding the 400th anniversary of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. The days will be packed with well known speakers, an exhibit and banquet.
The Conference of the Quatercentennial Anniversary will be held at the Liberty Mountain Conference Center from Friday, Sept. 30 through Saturday, Oct. 1.
Sessions will be held all day Saturday, starting at 7:30 a.m. Speakers will include Dr. David Bebbington, Dr. Daniel Dreisbach and Dr. Ed Hindson, according to the conference website.
The Green Collection will be on display in the Visual Communication Arts Gallery. The exhibit will contain 55 artifacts associated with the KJV of the Bible, according to Dr. Cecil Kramer, chairman of the KJV Committee coordinating the celebration on campus.
A group of Liberty professors has formed a committee and have been working on putting this event together for the campus for several months now.
The main goal in planning the event was to give students the chance to learn more about the importance of the KJV and to celebrate the success that has followed its creation, according to Kramer.
“There is no question that without the authorized version of the King James Bible, issued in 1611, the world would be a vastly different place,” Kramer said. “I don’t know if we’d have a Bible if it wasn’t for the KJV.”
Dr. Karen Prior, chair of the Department of English and Modern Languages, agrees that students need to be educated on the impact that this version has had on the world.
“Many Christian students are not aware of the cultural, literary and historical significance the King James Bible has, something that even secular scholars acknowledge and take seriously,” Prior said.
Kramer and Prior encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity to learn outside the classroom. In preparation for the conference, the film “Indestructible Book: The Historic Path of God’s Word from Mt. Sinai to Plymouth Rock” will be available for students to watch. The first two volumes can be seen on Sept. 20. The third and fourth will be shown on Sept. 27 and both will be starting at 7 p.m. in Towns Auditorium.
Faculty and the general public can purchase tickets for the entire event for $40 on the online Liberty University ticket office. Students will be allowed to attend the sessions on Saturday free of charge. Admittance to the banquet will cost $25 and must be purchased by Monday, Sept. 26, through ticketmaster.