News
On Sunday 4th January, 2026, the BBC Radio 4 Sunday Service will be entitled "Tyndale's Testament". It starts at 8:10 a.m. and will be 38 minutes long.
The Venerable Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Archdeacon of Liverpool, will present this feature for Sunday Worship, marking the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale's translation of the New Testament into English.
The webpage reads:
In 1526, outside St Paul's Cathedral, the Bishop of London lit a bonfire on which he burned as many copies of the New Testament in English as he could find. The translator, William Tyndale, had fled to Europe to complete his work, and later died a martyr there.
In this special feature for Sunday Worship the Venerable Miranda Threlfall-Holmes weaves together music, readings and reflections to mark this anniversary. She visits the library at St Paul's which now houses one of only three original editions of Tyndale's New Testament. She interviews Dr Paula Gooder and Professor Diarmaid Macculloch about why the work of translating Scripture was seen as so dangerous, and what makes Tyndale's translation such a literary and theological treasure. She also speaks to members of 'Churches Together in Lymm', who organised events and readings around this anniversary as part of the town's annual festival.
Listen to it live, or online afterwards via 'Radio 4 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds'.
Leicester in England, has an exhibition called "500 Years of the Bible in English" from Tyndale to today, which is being held in St George's Chapel at the Cathedral. The description says:
"2025–2026 is the quincentenary of the translation and printing of the New Testament from the earliest Greek manuscripts into everyday English. Up to the reign of Henry VIII, the Bible’s great message was locked away in a language few could understand, and even quoting a verse in English was illegal and punishable by death. While the Renaissance and Reformation raged in Europe, one Englishman, William Tyndale, gave his life’s work – and ultimately his life – to put into the hands of the ordinary person the book that would give them eternal hope, and would go on to transform the nation. Come and discover this exciting story."
For further details, click on the link below to see the "What's on?" booklet produced by the Cathedral.
The British and Irish Association of Practical Theology (BIAPT) partnered with the Tyndale Society to hold a Symposium at Launde Abbey in Leicestershire exploring five hundred years of Tyndale's work, and its impact on culture, language and theology, entitled: From “the salt of the earth” to “the powers that be” and looking at the impact of biblical language in contemporary culture.
About twenty-five people came from different backgrounds, from all around England and as far as the Netherlands and Canada, including some existing and new members of the Tyndale Society. Through presentations, discussions and conversations, people explored the influence and impact of Tyndale's translation work in Shakespeare, in later Bible translations, Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, and, generally, in language, music and theology. Readings were given from Tyndale's translation, especially the Cologne Fragment.
For more details about BIAPT, click on the button below.
St Paul's Cathedral in London has in its possession a partial copy of Tyndale's 1526 New Testament, just one of three known surviving copies. You can read their webpage about it here:
The cathedral also produces a podcast series called "Stories from St Paul’s", produced and presented by Douglas Anderson. These explore over a thousand years of cathedral history. In episode 7 of series 2 (called "The Most Dangerous Book in England"), Douglas Anderson explores the way Tyndale's translation challenged established religious and political power and authority. You can listen to it by clicking on the button below. It was first broadcast on 16 March 2022 and lasts about five minutes.
We have added a new Publisher Discounts page to the Tyndale Society website. Members of the Tyndale Society qualify for hefty discounts on relevant books. Explore the current discounts available and please note that new items will be added as we continue to connect with different publishers. Let us know if you have book or product that you would like to offer a discount for, or if there is a relevant, new book for which we should request a discount.