The 400-year-old translation of King James Bible still has loyal following

CHICAGO — On its 400th anniversary, the King James Version of the Bible is universally recognized as a literary masterpiece that profoundly shaped both modern Christianity and the English language.

But at the Bible Baptist Church in Mount Prospect, Ill., it's accorded a much higher level of reverence.

"Using anything but the King James Version," said Chris Huff, the church's pastor, "is like shaving with a banana."

The suburban Chicago church belongs to a loosely defined denomination known as the "King James Only" movement. Members believe the King James Version is not just another translation but the indispensible underpinning of a Christian's faith.

"When I'm looking for a church, the King James Bible is non-negotiable," said Sandra Maio, after a Wednesday-evening Bible study class there.

As it heads into another century, the King James' achievements are being heralded around the world. Actors recited every word from Genesis through Revelation at London's Globe Theatre this Easter season. Celebrations are scheduled in the hometowns of the 47 British translators who produced a work Winston Churchill called a "masterpiece" and George Bernard Shaw saluted as "magnificent."

At seminars and lectures, it will be noted that the King James' cadences and phrasings echo in Abraham Lincoln's speeches and Paul Simon's lyrics.

Yet on a daily basis, most churches use an updated version or more contemporary translation, reserving the King James' richly poetic language for weddings and funerals.

When James I of England set his committee of translators to work in 1604, England was on a religious roller coaster.

Under James' royal predecessors, England had bounced between Catholicism and the Protestant wings of the Reformation Era. With each reign, new articles of faith were adopted, others discarded. Believers whose convictions were momentarily out of date were sent to the gallows or burned at the stake.

From the perspective of the throne, a Bible was needed that would command respect — an English version that, as the translators wrote in their preface, "containeth the word of God, nay is the word of God; as the King's speech which he uttered in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian and Latin, is still the King's speech."