The Bible for All

Five hundred years after William Tyndale transformed access to scripture by translating the New Testament into English, Aled Jones is in London to explore just how radical Tyndale’s achievement was and to meet the people continuing his mission of making the Bible accessible to everyone today.

Aled begins by meeting leading New Testament theologian and canon chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, Dr Paula Gooder, to discover more about Tyndale, what inspired him and the extraordinary risks he took in pursuing his ambition to translate the New Testament into English. St Paul’s Cathedral is home to one of only three surviving copies of the first edition of Tyndale’s New Testament, and it is here that Aled and Paula reflect on the profound legacy Tyndale left for generations of readers.

We then meet the team producing braille Bibles for people with sight loss. Team leader Paul Rhodes guides us through the production process, explaining how braille Bibles are printed. Sheila Armstrong reflects on working there for 45 years and what her own braille Bible means to her as a blind Christian.

Aled then travels to Christ Church in Shoreditch, where the Christian charity Hope Together has produced a redesigned New Testament cover. Inspired directly by Tyndale’s determination to create a Bible that anyone and everyone could engage with, they hope the new edition will welcome a new generation of readers.

Along the way, we hear uplifting hymns celebrating the hope, wisdom and life found in the Bible.

1. Ancient Words – Reading Town Hall
2. O Thou Who Camest from Above – Canterbury Cathedral
3. O Praise the Name – The Mint Methodist Church, Exeter
4. Lord for the Years – St Paul’s Cathedral Choir
5. Be Thou My Vision – Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh
6. All People That on Earth Do Dwell - The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich