Robert's "Pen of Iron" is an account of how the King James Bible has been declining in popularity in America for centuries. Giving reference to famous speakers and writers including Abe Lincoln, Robert's discusses the link between the declining King James version of the Bible and the decrease in literary talent that has left us today praising "flat and banal writing or prose of the most purple hue" (10).
However, is the decline in literary skill seen today a result of the decreasing availability of the King James Bible, or is it the other way? As America continued to mature away from its British roots, would it not make sense that certain texts -- such as the King James translation of the bible, a text that is dripping in English elements -- would begin to become obsolete? While Robert's views today's authors as below those of the past, this complaint seems subjective. That being said, it is clear that the rhetoric used today is significantly different from the writing 300 years ago. While the King James may be a translation from the time when America was first being colonized, newer versions such as the NRSV may just be a version that more appropriately reflects the rhetoric used today.
Therefore, Robert's may actually be off on his assessment of the King James' popularity. It could be simply that -- and this is what I believe is more likely to have happened -- as America grew away from English influence and began to develop its own style of language, the King James began to become essentially "out of date". This isn't to say that it should be done away with entirely, but more that for the layman reading the Bible, the King James became too distant from the way they lived their life opening the gap for a more "up to date" version?
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