The summer is upon us and what better way to enjoy the balmy days than to read another issue of the Tyndale Society Journal. Here it is, issue no. 10, so set up the deck chair and pour a cool drink. This issue contains a variety of material: several announcements, reports, obituaries, a review, poetry, the rarely printed foreward of the first AVs, and of course, the issue no. 9 crossword puzzle solutions. Do note the upcoming Tyndale Conference. Details are included in the 'Society Notes' section. There is still time to register.
On a lighter note ... I was asked recently how the T-shirt got its name. Whilst many are aware that his garment's move from underwear to outerwear came about through Marlon Brando's starring role in A Streetcar Named Desire, few seem aware of its origins. Some believe it to be named for its T shape, or T for 'torso'. Tyndale Society members should be able to cut through all confusion: The T is for Tyndale. Vastly overshadowed by his monumental contributions to the vernacular Bible and English language, Tyndale's invention of the T-shirt is rarely mentioned. However, William Tyndale was not only concerned for the spiritual welfare of the English-speaking people, but also for their physical welfare. He knew that the ploughboy or kitchen maid could catch a chill if they left their physical labours for very long and sat down to read his Bible translation. Tyndale had good contacts among wool merchants, and so he had the first T-shirts fabricated for his Bible readers. Of course wool can be itchy next to the skin, so in due course T-shirts came to be made from linen or a combination of linen and wool (known as 'linsey-woolsey'). The true flowering of the T-shirt would have to wait for the general availability of spun cotton. The Tyndale shirt embodies many of the guiding principles of Tyndale's life and work: It is a garment of universal appeal. It can be worn by either gender and by persons of any age. It is a simple garment. It is functional. It can be adorned or left plain. It can be worn in any season. It is classic and timeless. Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate in 1998 to honour our hero with the printing of T-shirts bearing his likeness, as on the front cover. A portrait of William Tyndale within a garland, his name and dates 1494-1536, are being printed in black, on white T-shirts in medium and large sizes. A blue shirt to match denim is also in the pipeline. The price is £8.00, covering the cost of the shirts and rounded up to add a contribution to the Society's coffers. Place your orders with me, the editor.
Deborah Pollard