To Be or Not To Be

When it comes to so-called adversarial “Gray-zone” tactics utilized to destabilize a nation’s populace, none has proven more effective than compromising a nation’s religious convictions, supplanting them with another ethic. Yet, while subversive ideologies have been circulating in the West as far back as the early 1900’s, a unified identity derived from a common religion and cause, was as yet a mountain too steep to climb Yet if such is the case why has there been so little moral outrage today? The answer is simply a lack of moral conviction on the part of the populace. As to the reasons why, I would offer this – while the pot has been slow to boil it has produced the desired effect, an erosion in the
social contract” between the government and the governed, with an end-game in mind – servility to another system.

But resistance is mounting, particularly in the UK. When the British Parliament can no longer make the distinction between common decency and moral decay, as can be seen in the trash accumulation and rat infestation in predominantly Muslim Birmingham, you’ve not only got a bloody problem, but administrative dysfunction, with officials lacking the will to call it what it is – a national disgrace. There can no longer be any excuse, as it’s become painfully clear that national unity cannot be derived through multiplicity, but only from those with a uniform identity and a “shared pattern of values, behaviors, beliefs and attitudes that were created, transmitted, maintained, and transformed over time.” (U.S. Air Force Culture and Language Center [AFCLC]). And regarding that identity, as a predominately Christian nation, the Church of England, including its Book of Common Prayer remain not only representative of England’s history, but its Christian faith.

In that regard, while the Book of Common Prayer and Kings James version of the Bible may be seen by some as anachronisms, both continue to have an extraordinary relevancy when it comes to Christian conservatism from a historical perspective. Although earlier publications of the Church of England’s Prayer Book still exist as a reminder of what once was and what might have been, the more liberal element within the Church has taken upon itself the task of modernization, altering the (official) Prayer Book and Bible in such a way as to make it more relevant. As a result, its heavenly pronouncements have become somewhat watered-down, in the process serve the better interests of the muddle (middle) so they can wheedle their way out of moral accountability.

That said, we can identify certain methodologies being used to hasten the process. One is through increasingly obtuse translations of the text. Where is the meat? The other is by way of interpretation. And this is of particular relevance when it comes to The Church of England, as The King James Bible and The Book of Common Prayer were particle to England’s historical development. And while much has been made about recent discoveries of ancient Greek manuscripts, the perceived benefit begs the question. What is the perceived benefit when an ever-greater selection of ancient manuscripts comes at the expense of scriptural authority, in turn offering a more universalist and therefore less confrontational presentation of the Holy Scriptures – as truth.

By contrast, The King James Bible, derived from Tyndale’s earlier translation, which relied primarily upon the Greek and Hebrew texts, and the Vulgate, was not only uniquely English, but could be said to have been “cutting edge” for that time and place. As such, it became not only the primary text for The Church of England, but foundational for The Book of Common Prayer. As such, comparing certain passages in the historical KJV to that of the somewhat ubiquitous New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) it is somewhat like comparing apples to oranges. While it can be said that both are edible fruits, in a theological sense, their appearance and taste are arguably quite different. That difference being precisely the point, as in reading the KJV and earlier publications of The Prayer Book something becomes readily apparent. We’re not just reading theology, we are reading the ecclesiastical history and formative christology of England itself, and that according to some of the most brilliant minds of the time and doubly blessed. Educated in “The Classical Tradition,” they were themselves particle to The English Reformation. And for that reason I would offer that they were probably a little closer to the eternal flame!

And while it can be said that the NRSV is arguably more readable in a contemporary sense, providing greater accessibility for a modern audience, it hasn’t come without a cost. Parallels can be made between the ubiquity of modern English today, its literary devolution, and the atrophy of intellectual curiosity and lack of grammatical acuity that we find in many of our college graduates today. The point being that earlier translations of the Bible, such as the KJV, while no doubt less readable for the vast majority of the public today, remain unique in their ability to express The Word of God in such a way as to be not only concise, but expositionally illuminating. In short, one could say that it’s compositors demonstrated not only a rare command of the English language, but in turn raised it to an art-form by saying more with fewer words. An ability notably lacking today. For that reason, earlier editions of The King James Bible and The Book of Common Prayer as well, remain of particular significance, as they are not only representative of the genesis of Western Christianity, but the genius of European thought. And this I might add is especially true when it comes to The Book of Common Prayer, as in reading the current rendition, especially when viewed through its various revisions and updates, is a bit like following “Alice through the looking glass,” only to find that everything on the other side of the mirror has become somewhat topsy-turvy.

Consequently, the tea of truth no longer carries the force of conviction it once had, not dissimilar to “bracing up,” a term which can no longer be found in the English vernacular. Yet, to say that the cup is tepid would be a misnomer, as the setting itself has changed, and with that, something uniquely British and of a peculiar beauty has been lost. The page has turned as they say, and with it, the Prayer Book’s previous theological elicitations. A danger in that popular opinion has been quick to fill the void, regardless of the fact that it has become increasingly trivialized and therefore made irrelevant. Worse, the progressives in the punch-bowl have now become the majority opinion, at odds with the salvific alchemy of the page itself. Unfortunately, the same can be said for the priestly office as well, in that what was once saintly is now only sanctimonious, with the pulpit having become little more than a causation for cessation. In turn, the spiritual guardrails that once guided us on our merry way have gone missing, leading in turn to any number of moral off-ramps, the result of which is now plain to see. A purge is in order, a “penitential rite” I say, not simply for the sake of sanctity, but the survival of the English people themselves.