28 - 29 October 2026
This conference will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the publication in 1526 of William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament from Greek into English. Dangerous for him to do, Tyndale’s skilful and courageous work proved to be a watershed moment in the history of the Bible in English. Today, we read the Bible in translation in a range of formats and media – including online: a powerful forum for global distribution and impact, much like the printing press of Tyndale’s times. Tyndale’s vision was that anyone should be able to understand the Bible for themselves in their own language. Tyndale’s effective turns of phrase – “let there be light”, “the spirit is willing”, “signs of the times” – made their way into later translations, especially the King James Version, and thereby into common parlance. This conference will also be an occasion to bring together scholars, clergy, and laypeople to learn and reflect critically and imaginatively about the Bible in general. Special attention will be given to the Bible’s translation, distribution, and impact – past, present, and future. The following will be considered:
- William Tyndale’s life, work, and legacy;
- Translation: motivations, theories, histories, challenges, and possibilities;
- Distribution: formats and media, past and present, by which people encounter the Bible.
- Impact: how the Bible is related to the religious, political, and social contexts of its interpreters.
The conference will run from 9.30am to 5.00pm on both Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October. There will be an extra Tyndale-themed tour in nearby Oxford on the morning of Friday 30 October, followed by a free commemorative concert at Corpus Christi College (see link below). In-person attendees will be welcome to join in daily worship at the college throughout the conference.
The event will be hosted at Ripon College Cuddesdon, a Church of England college founded by Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, son of the abolitionist William Wilberforce MP. Situated 7 miles from Oxford in the beautiful and peaceful Oxfordshire countryside, the college is an ideal venue for study and reflection.
Schedule (provisional)
Day 1: Wednesday 28 October – chairperson: Neil Rees (Chairman, Tyndale Society)
| 09:00 | Arrivals |
| 09:15 | Welcome: Hywel Clifford |
| 09:30 | Jason Radcliff (Wesley House, Cambridge) Before Tyndale: Vernacular Scripture and Biblical Piety in the Medieval West |
| 10:15 | Alinda Damsma (University College London) The King, the Witch, & the Holy Word |
| 11:00 | Refreshments |
| 11:15 | Norman L. Hopkins (Rochester) John Frith of Westerham (1503-1533): Scholar, Martyr, and Friend of William Tyndale |
| 11:45 | Ian Russell Christie-Miller (Lewes) The Early Tyndale Paper Trail |
| 12:15 | Andrew Hope (Oxford) Fake News of the Trinity: The Johannine Comma dispute, William Roye, William Tyndale, and beyond |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 13:45 | Timothy Berg (SBTS, Louisville, Kentucky) – online Tyndale the Reviser and Textual Critic: A Legacy Appropriated in the 1881 ERV NT and the Concurrently Published Greek Text of the KJV NT |
| 14:15 | Colin J. O’Bier (Talbot Seminary, Arizona & Grand Canyon University) – online William Tyndale as Editor: Paragraphing, Discourse Structure, and the Hidden Craft of English Bible Translation |
| 14:45 | Refreshments |
| 15:00 | Harry Spillaine (University of Cambridge) – online Prophets and Profit: Printing Tyndale’s Works |
| 15:45 | Neil Rees (Chairman, Tyndale Society) Impact of Tyndale’s Translation on Modern Bibles |
| 16:30 | Mike Smith (Bath) So what: How do we take Tyndale from the pages of history and bring him into the lives of people sitting in our churches and communities today? |
| 17:00 | Break |
| 17:15 | Evening Prayer - optional |
| 17:45 | Supper |
| 19:00 | Evening activity: early 1937 Tyndale film (40 minutes) & discussion – optional |
Day 2: Thursday 29 October – chairperson: Hywel Clifford (Tutor, Ripon College Cuddesdon)
| 09:30 | Michael Dormandy (Universität Innsbruck) Roots of Racism or Seed of Freedom: Patristic Readings of the Curse of Ham |
| 10:15 | Helen Paynter (Bristol Baptist College) “This mongrel people”: translating Numbers 11 responsibly |
| 11:00 | Refreshments |
| 11:15 | David Lee (Lincoln) Lamentations: lost in translation? |
| 11:45 | Samuel Mann (Shrewsbury) Why accurate translation matters: the importance of being true to the Greek. The theological and ecumenical implications of the first verses of John chapter 1. |
| 12:15 | R. K. Wilkowski (Western Washington University) – online The Curious Case of Children’s Bibles: Developmental Vernacular, Bible Translation, and Dialogical Hermeneutics |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 13:45 | Laura Popa (University of Cambridge) Bible Women and the Distribution of the Scriptures: From London Streets to Global Frontiers |
| 14:30 | Joanna Collicutt (King’s College London) Reading the Bible in conversation with visual art: A study of the reception of seven New Testament exhibitions from the Visual Commentary on Scripture |
| 15:15 | Refreshments |
| 15:30 | Paul E. Momoh (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia) Relevance and Sustainability of Tyndale’s NT Message in the Post-Secular Era |
| 16:15 | Andrew Bradstock (University of Winchester) The Bible in the Public Square |
| 17:00 | Break |
| 17:15 | Evening Prayer - optional |
| 17:45 | Supper |
| 19:00 | Evening activity: Round Table discussion – optional |
Day 3: Friday 30 October – optional
| 10:00 | Departure for Oxford for Tyndale-themed tour |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Commemorative concert – Tyndale500 Event: Let there be Light – followed by a Reception (Corpus Christi College, Oxford). Please book here: TYNDALE500 : Let there be Light Tickets, Friday 30 October • 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | Eventbrite |
| 15:30 | Return to Ripon College Cuddesdon |
| 16:00 | Refreshments |
| 16:30 | Departure |
Conference Booking
Booking is essential for all speakers and attendees. Conference attendance will be residential, non-residential, or online.
The prices per person are as follows:
| Online | 2 days | £25 | Booking and Payment |
| Non-residential In-person | 2 days | £80 | Booking and Payment |
| Residential: standard room | 1 night (Wed) | £120 | Booking and Payment |
| Residential: ensuite room | 1 night (Wed) | £150 | Booking and Payment |
| Residential: standard room | 2 nights (Tue / Wed) | £195 | Booking and Payment |
| Residential: ensuite room | 2 nights (Tue / Wed) | £225 | Booking and Payment |
| Residential: standard room | 2 nights (Wed/Thurs) | £195 | Booking and Payment |
| Residential: ensuite room | 2 nights (Wed/Thurs) | £225 | Booking and Payment |
| Residential: standard room | 3 nights (Tue / Wed / Thu) | £270 | Booking and Payment |
| Residential: ensuite room | 3 nights (Tue / Wed / Thu) | £300 | Booking and Payment |
| Oxford Tour | Friday morning | £40 | Booking and Payment |
To inquire about the availability of B&B accommodation before and/or after the conference, please email: [email protected]
For all other queries please call 01865 874404 or email [email protected]