God's Secretaries

God’s Secretaries (2001), a work of religious literary history by English author Adam Nicolson, focuses on Jacobean English society during the development of the King James Bible, which was the product of more than 50 translators who worked between 1604 and 1611. The King James Bible went on to become one of the most important works ever written in English, dramatically changing English society. While several other books survey the translators, Nicolson’s book is the first attempt to analyze how the norms and institutions of Jacobean English society in the early 17th century informed the book’s production.

Nicolson begins by paying respect to the King James version of the bible, emphasizing its clarity and beauty. He argues that the King James Bible is the most comprehensive religious work to emerge out its era and that two primary ingredients allowed the work to flourish: English society at the start of James I’s reign, and James I’s personality and style of ruling England. Nicolson describes the early 17th century as a chaotic period, in which certain institutions and ideas seemed ever at odds. For example, the Puritan reformers rose in the Church of England as proponents of Biblical literalism, asceticism, and strict moral rules, just as the King’s inner circle built extravagant palaces and hoarded wealth. The Puritans emphasized the individual’s relationship with God through the medium of holy text, while church leaders indulged in mystifying rhetoric and complex ceremonies. These contradictions lived within the very translators who worked on the King James Bible. Nicolson highlights a few of these men, such as Lancelot Andrewes, who was known for his dual humility and affinity for ostentatious religious symbolism. Another translator, the bishop George Abbott, was known for an elegant writing style which contrasted with his interest in describing scenes of brutality.

Nicolson argues that the declarations of King James I, who was crowned in 1603, provided the basis for the new bible. James I declared a preference “for the medium in all things,” and promoted a philosophical regime of inclusiveness and harmony, even between different religions. This insistence on harmony was disrupted by the Catholic Gunpowder Plot in 1605, in which attempts were made on the King’s life. Thereafter, James turned against the Catholic Church and started an ideological campaign against the Puritans, whom he branded as Separatists. Neither religious denomination recognized the authority of the Church of England. Yet, at the same time, James wanted to unify the Puritans with the Church of England. The King James Bible became his tool for accomplishing this; in his vision, the bible would motivate people to unify into a single church.



One glaring lacuna in the historical record is how exactly the bible was translated. Very few documents survive that give insight into how this process went. One thing historians know is that the 1604 Hampton Court Conference led to a consensus that a new translation should be made. This meeting was called by James I to try to bring together the Church’s bishops and Puritan leaders. The negotiations at Hampton Court only partially succeeded: The Puritans, who came seeking reforms, left mostly empty-handed, and were treated poorly by James. Ironically, it was the Puritan leaders who brought up the idea of a new translation of the Bible, to the objection of one of the bishops. James agreed to the proposal and concluded the conference.

At the end of his book, Nicolson provides an analysis of James’s disposition towards the Puritans. Though many scholars perceive James as a deeply anti-Puritan king, the fact that he actively supported what was essentially a Puritan project suggests otherwise. Nicolson argues that James was less of a polarizing figure than many believe. In fact, James deeply valued unity and thought that the conflicting factions in the Church would live in greater harmony once they could refer to a common Biblical text as a source of divine truth.