The Influence of the King James Bible on the American Novel - Part 1

The influence of the King James Bible on American literature has been vast. This is the first of many episodes that will explore this topic, and it will focus on ways this particular edition of the Bible has shaped the American novel.   We believe that understanding this thread in America’s religious fabric will make each of us more effective stewards of religion’s role in the American experiment in self-government.   Season 4, Episode 20 – The Influence of the King James Bible on the American Novel – Part 1.   Guest Bio Robert Alter is Professor in the Graduate School and Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and author of Pen of Iron: American Prose and the King James Bible. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Council of Scholars of the Library of Congress, and is past president of the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics. His twenty-four published books include two prize-winning volumes on biblical narrative and poetry and award-winning translations of Genesis and of the Five Books of Moses.   Podcast Support Scholarly support provided by Dr. Lauren Turek, Associate Professor of History at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.   Technical audio and video assistance provided by Dr. Randall Stephens, a Professor of American and British Studies at the University of Oslo.   Religion in the American Experience is a podcast of the private, digital-first National Museum of American Religion, which tells the story of how religion has shaped America and how America has shaped religion. This includes the establishment of religious freedom in the United States Constitution’s Article II, Section 1 “Oath or Affirmation” clause; Article VI “no religious Test” clause ; and the free exercise and non-establishment clauses in the Bill of Rights.