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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

Society for English Learning Through Biblical Literature

Our Vision

The society aims to enhance the English-Learning experience by promoting the study of an important origin of English Literature-the Bible.

For centuries, the Bible has been a source of inspirations to numerous renowned scholars, writers and poets who shaped the world of English literature, the most notable amongst them is William Shakespeare. However, such origins are now seldom discussed, partly due to the complexities of the Bible and of the traditional literary works which it inspired centuries back. Yet its many influences can still be felt nowadays, which made their way in the many idioms which we currently use in modern language, such as “turn the other cheek”, “go the extra mile” etc. Bible-reading has long been adopted and championed by professors and lay people, Christians and non-Christians as an effective way of learning English, given its treasure trove of idioms and rhetorical devices in the book. In fact, it is found that learners who read the bible show significant improvements in the language as shown in their increased use of parallel structures and increase in vocabulary without themselves even knowing it.

This vision is increasingly recognized worldwide whereby English professors surveyed at leading universities–including Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford–agreed that “regardless of a person’s faith, an educated person needs to know about the Bible.”, according to the Bible literacy report released on June 1, 2006. The report surveyed 39 English professors at 34 top U.S. colleges and universities, who said that knowledge of the Bible is a deeply important part of a good education.


Our Mission

The society strives to:
A)Enhance the English-Learning experience of English learners and raise their English proficiency by promoting the study of Bible;
B)Inspire language teachers and trainers on campuses and workplace to promote English-learning via literature to the general public;
C)Raise people’s level of appreciation for Western art, literature, culture and history by making them aware of the Bible and its influence on Western civilization;
D)Promote the Bible as an academically stimulating and engaging subject.

About Us

The Society (known as SELBL in short), is formed in 2008 by a group of professionals and university lecturers. What essentially links us together is the vision and passion of promoting English literacy through the study of an important origin of English literature – the Bible.

Since 2010, SELBL Limited has become a charitable institution exempt from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, Hong Kong.

For more details regarding the work of SELBL, please download our corporate brochure.

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.