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The Bible has been the most influential text in all of Western culture. It's difficult to understand medieval or early modern or much of modern literature without knowing it...

Prof. Barbara Newman, Northwestern University
from 2006 Bible Literary project

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It's not that it's impossible to read some writers without a Biblical background, but that you would miss a whole dimension to their work.

Prof. Steven Goldsmith, University of California at Berkeley
from 2006 Bible Literary Project

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I can only say that if a student doesn't know any Bible literature, he or she will simply not understand whole elements of Shakespeare, Sidney, Spenser, Milton, Pope, Wordsworth

Prof. Robert Kiely, Harvard University
from 2006 Bible Literary Project

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...there is truth in the remark. "without Tyndale[Bible translator], no Shakespeare"...

Prof. David Daniell, University College London
from The Bible in English

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You can't really study Western literature intelligently or coherently without starting with the Bible.

Prof. Gerald L. Bruns, University of Notre Dame
from 2006 Bible Literary Project

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...a familiar understanding of Christian doctrine in historical perspective thus contributes to a fuller appreciation of Shakespeare's art, but Shakespeare's art

Prof. Roland M. Frye
from Shakespeare and the Christian Doctrine

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In English tradition and also for an American tradition begun by Puritan writers, a knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament is even more crucial than classical references.

Prof. Ulrich Knoefplmacher, Princeton University
from 2006 Bible Literary Project

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There is no book more important for our culture than the Bible, and it is fundametal to the study of English literature and language.

Prof. David Jasper and Prof. Stephen Prickett
from the Bible and literature

References

Our website draws on a wealth of materials online and offline. The list below is not exhaustive, but should help point you to further research on how to learn English through the Bible.

Book

Website

Idioms

http://www.gracecathedral.org/enrichment/brush_excerpts/
http://www.phrases.org.uk/
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/
http://www.dictionary.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Biblical_phrases
http://www.ibsstl.org/niv/index.php (NIV Bible official website)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/mh/ (Bible commentary)

Christian names

http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.behindthename.com/ 
http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/ 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Bilingual versions of the Bible

http://www.o-bible.com/

Course outline for teaching Bible and literature at universities

http://cla.calpoly.edu/~smarx/courses/354/index.htm
(lecture notes for teaching the Bible chapter by chapter and its corresponding literary works and films)

http://cla.calpoly.edu/~smarx/courses/354/index.htm
(teaching Christian works such as Paradise Lost)

Course outline for teaching Bible and literature at middle schools

http://www.bibleliteracy.org/site/ 
(resources for teaching Bible in public schools in the U.S.)

http://www.bibleinschools.net/
(National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools – lesson plans for teaching Bible in public schools in the U.S)

Search idiom or name
FIND THE ORIGIN OF IDIOMS

A lot of phrases, such as "two-edged sword" and " an eye for an eye", are taken from the English Bible. Learning the stories behind these idioms is fun, and can help boost your vocabulary. Click here to find out now!

What's in a name?

Common names such as Joseph and Rachel have their origins in the Bible. Want to know their stories before picking the right name for yourself? Click here to find out.