Freedom and Order: The Bible and British Politics

2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James' Bible and will see a great deal of celebration and comment about the impact of the Bible on British culture. Much of the story is well-known, such as the Bible's seminal influence on British language and literature, but one aspect—the influence of the Bible on English politics—is largely unknown or ignored. Moreover, when it is not ignored, the Bible's influence on politics is treated as that from which we have escaped, in order that we may enjoy our current freedoms, rather than something that contributed positively to political thought or history. This is misleading. Freedom and Order seeks to inform people of the Bible's critical and positive influence on politics in Britain throughout modern history.