Westminster Abbey Favours Royal Wedding Pics over Bible Display

From the website of Sheffield Cathedral:

An exhibition by the University of Sheffield’s Department of Biblical Studies is set to throw new light on the King James Bible.

Telling Tales of King James’ Bible opens Tuesday 3 May 2011 in Sheffield Cathedral and will be open to the public until the end of June. The exhibition is part of a series of events organised by the University to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, which will include free open lectures from the former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, MP Frank Field, and other prominent cultural commentators.

…Telling Tales of King James’ Bible will run from Tuesday 3 May 2011 until 30 June 2011, before moving to Westminster Abbey…

The date for the move to Westminster Abbey coincides with an international meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), due to take place in London.

However, Jim West, Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at the Quartz Hill School of Theology and an SBL member, now reports that:

Though the Abbey had agreed to host the Sheffield KJV Project display during the upcoming International meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, they have now, virtually at the last minute, backed out!  Leaving the Project in the lurch and desperately seeking an alternative.

And why have they backed out?  To allow pictures of the Royal Wedding to remain on display a bit longer…  Sad.  Outrageous really!…

In an update, Jim explains that St Bride’s off Fleet Street may be an alternative venue. It’s certainly an appropriate choice – the church is known as the “church of the press, printing, journalism”, and there’s an exhibition in the crypt which includes (if I recall correctly) a Breeches Bible.