| History
Two centuries-old Bibles have made their way into the hands of Dr. Steve Hoskins, professor of religion, who is thrilled to share them with his students.
The books once belonged to a retired pastor and professor, and he passed them along to a Methodist bishop who’s a friend of Hoskins, insisting that they be given to people who understood their significance and would tell their stories well.
The bishop called Hoskins to ask if he was interested.
“He contacted me on FaceTime and started to show me these Bibles. I said, that one there, I'll wrestle anybody for it,” Hoskins said. “That Bible was published nine years before the King James Bible and is called the Bishops’ Bible.”
Printed under Queen Elizabeth I, this version includes apocryphal texts and was one of the first bibles published by the Church of England.
“It’s not in the best condition,” Hoskins said. “But one in great shape could sell for $25,000.”
The second Bible was printed by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) in 1841. The SPCK was key in supporting the ministry of John Wesley, a key figure in Nazarene theology. This collection of scripture demonstrates a much different side of the Church than the royally commissioned Bishops’ Bible.
“This Bible is just a straight-up, poor person’s Bible. Not spectacular, but very functional,” Hoskins said. “It was used to teach literacy and Anglican doctrine—often to girls and the poor.”
For students, the opportunity to interact with the artifacts is a rare one. Freshman theology major Mason Robertson was surprised to have this opportunity so early in his college career.
“I was not expecting to see anything remotely like this up close until grad school—and I’m a freshman,” Robertson said. “I want to go into translation work and I thought it would be years before I had a chance like this.”
Hoskins made the point that this kind of opportunity sets Trevecca apart. Students are able to physically handle the books, albeit carefully; an uncommon experience in higher education.
“Many schools don’t let people touch these,” Hoskins said. “But here, it’s about connecting students to history in a real, visceral way.”
For Hoskins, these Bibles are not just museum pieces. He hopes his students come to a deeper understanding and respect for scripture and history.
“They are part of a mission—to remind students that faith is rooted in real people, real sacrifice and real moments in time. For the students to get to interact with history—I think it’s the best way to teach history,” Hoskins said. “You get a sense of how it was done. Printing a book in 1602 was very rare. In the Reformation, wars were fought over the Bible. The price paid and the respect people had for it—that’s something students can now feel firsthand.”
