This is just a quick update on what's happening in the BlogRodentSphere. (Yes, I take my "branding" too seriously, sometimes!)

I've been unemployed since November 9. However, by God's grace and the help of friends, Jennifer and I have not suffered from a loss of income. In fact, I've only drawn one week's worth of unemployment checks. We've managed to keep busy with enough freelance work that we've been able to make our dreaded mortgage-payments and other sundry bills relatively on-time. We're without health-insurance, though, so we are praying none of us fall ill.

I've had several interesting and fun interviews. None of them were high-pressure (with the possible exception of the church interview), and I felt instant rapport with everyone I've interviewed with:

A Cambridge graduate and reformer, a contemporary of Tyndale. During Tyndale's months of imprisonment Coverdale published the first edition of Tyndale's complete translation of the Bible. He is given credit for having translated the first complete English Bible in 1535.

[tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, English-Bible, history, Miles-Coverdale, Reformation, Tyndale[/tags]

After King Henry VIII's break with England he seemed intent on creating an English Catholic Church, for instance the Statute of Six articles upheld many basic Catholic articles. Only two serious changes marked the new way within the Church of England. The first was the suppression of the monasteries; the second was the publication of the English Bible for use in the churches. In the latter years of William Tyndale's life he produced translated portions of the Old Testament (including the Pentateuch) and an improved edition of the New. In 1536 he died, burned at the stake. Yet, during his imprisonment Miles Coverdale published an edition of the Bible which was essentially Tyndale's work, supplemented by Latin and German versions. Then, a year after Tyndale's death, the Matthew Bible appeared. It was the work of another English reformer named John Rogers, it was virtually a well-edited compilation of Tyndale and

A year after Tyndale's burning at the stake, the Matthew Bible appeared. It was the work of another English reformer named John Rogers, who thought it wise to send forth his translation without his name attached. The Matthew Bible was virtually a well-edited compilation of Tyndale and Coverdale's work. At Thomas Cranmer's request, Henry VIII authorized this Bible, revised by Coverdale, to be bought and read throughout the realm.

[tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Henry-VIII, history, John-Rogers, Matthew-Bible, Thomas, Tyndale, Reformation[/tags]

A year after Tyndales's death, English reformer John Rogers edited a compilation of Tyndale and Coverdale's translation work and published the Matthew Bible. At Thomas Cranmer's request, Henry VIII authorized that this Bible, revised by Coverdale and called the "Great Bible," be bought and read throughout the realm.

[tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Henry-VIII, history, John-Rogers, Matthew-Bible, Thomas, Tyndale, Reformation[/tags]

Educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and possibly later at Cambridge. He became tutor to the family of Sir John Walsh. While living in Walsh's household, Tyndale saw at first hand the ignorance of the local clergy. The bishops had banned the English Bible since 1408 because they feared the Lollards, who had their own translation (the Wycliffe Bible). Because this translation had been made only from the Latin Vulgate and was inaccurate, Tyndale set out to make a translation from the Hebrew and the Greek. He hoped to win the support of the learned bishop of London, Cuthbert Tunstall. But the bishops were more concerned with preventing the spread of Lutheran ideas than promoting the study of Scripture. In due course Tyndale obtained financial support from a number of London merchants, especially Humphrey Monmouth.

Because England was no safe place to translate the Bible, Tyndale left for the Continent,