#JohnBarton

[blessedisthetriumphant]

[sowingseedsandshootinghoops]

The History of the Construction of the Bible

Note on the text: I used John Barton’s A History of the Bible: The Story of the World’s Most Influential Book as published by Viking Press in 2019.

It’s important to be able to read any book, especially one as important as the Bible, within the context in which it was crafted. If you want to understand the Bible it’s important to understand as much as you can about the people who wrote it. And to that end this is a really informative read. It is worth also noting that not only am I an avid Catholic, but John Barton is a priest in the Church of England. 

IN talking about the Old Testament, John Barton reminds us that it “did not derive from a single period in the history of Israel but from a wide range of dates and places” (22). It’s important to understand as much as you can about the historicity of the Old Testament (and the book you are reading in particular) if you want to understand it as fully as you can. It’s interesting to see the different ways in which understanding the history of the time and place in which the Old Testament was written enriches the text itself. Sometimes it’s surprising, like when he points out that although the writer of Chronicles appears to have no use for King Omri (whose 12 year reign was characterized chiefly by his continual defiance of God’s law), the “Assyrian annals show that Omri was an important and powerful ruler” such that the Assyrians will refer to Israel as the House of  Omri for next 200 years (28). This then leads into a fruitful discussion of the culture and thought process of the Jews at that time insofar as we can determine them and how that thought process influenced what got written into the Bible and what did not. 

Similarly he discusses the ways in which people’s view of the New Testament evolved over time. For example, John Barton argues that the evidence shows that early Christians thought of the Gospels in a different way than we do now. He suggests that the way in which Irenaeus and Justin Martyr write about the Gospels indicates that they ascribe “ultimate authority not to the Gospels in their finished forms, but to the words and deeds that they record. Both clearly knew these words and deeds from the Gospels, but they do not derive their authority from this” (241). Meaning that they knew about the Gospels but that at that time they did not appear to think of them as different than other supposed accounts of Christ’s life. He also talks about how the fact that the Gospels were written as codices and not scrolls might indicate something because “in the ancient world scrolls were regarded as a much higher status. . . . The codex was not used for important texts, but only as we might use a notebook, to make jottings or write drafts” (244). Early Christians apparently just saw the Gospels as practical books to learn about Christ as opposed to sacred literature in the way that we do, and to see how the New Testament acquired the status that it has today is really fascinating. 

The Bible is a large encyclopedia written by thousands of people over thousands of years and learning more about the process by which it became the Bible that we know and love today is really interesting and worth learning about. It can do nothing but enhance our relationship with the book itself. 

[hotshotdebut]

#JohnBarton #AHistoryofTheBible New week new book. #AllenLane https://www.instagram.com/p/CBulc_igJ_8/?igshid=1dxouac634s39

[pyngwi]

🕵️💃 #pulpnovel #bukowski - Novela detectivesca que casualmente fue publicada el mismo año en que Tarantino realizó 'Pulp Fiction', ambas parodias y homenajes al pulp (la literatura de kiosko y de impresión barata). Es una burla sarcástica en si misma, en la que nos reímos irónicamente de las normas establecidas, de la corrupción policial, de la violencia que nos sacude a diario, de la incomunicación como forma de vida, de la cruenta y absurda guerra de sexos (como si hombres y mujeres fuéramos de distintos planetas), del consumismo en el que todos incurrimos unas cuantas veces al día, de los oficios de psiquiatría y abogacía. De lo absurdo de nuestra existencia. De la Muerte. Y de la necesidad que todos tenemos de buscar desconocidos objetivos que cumplir en la vida, aunque tal vez sean innecesarios e inexistentes. #pulpfiction #book #nickybelane #ladydeath #redsparrow #jeannienitro #celine #nicknelane #johnbarton

[news247worldpressposts]

#Breaking: #JohnBarton, former chair of #easyJet and #Next, dies aged 77

#Breaking: #JohnBarton, former chair of #easyJet and #Next, dies aged 77

https://twitter.com/guardiannews/status/1467793027058085890?s=20 Source: Twitter

[shakespeareplayer]

And Henry VI...

…is done, in The Wars of the Roses, and dead, as it were (spoiler).

I really like Ian Holm’s Richard. I didn’t enjoy Barton’s editing of Richard’s final speech of Part 3… it was reshaped to seem like a casting-off instead of a declaration. In other words, Richard seemed to decide at that moment to stop loving his brothers, instead of sharing with us the void of his soul (at least since his father’s death). Otherwise, post-Warwick none of Barton’s editing or rewrites drove me crazy. Some I thought great, some not so much… but whatever I may think, this was (is) an incredible achievement. Into Richard III now and enjoying.

Oh! Idea to steal: when Richard cuts off Henry’s prophecy, he didn’t just maul him. He stopped his mouth, then slowly delivered the line while drawing his sword, then killed him. It was harrowing. 

[blessedisthetriumphant]

From the History of the Bible by John Barton

Against fundamentalism religion 🔐

[rainbowsxxdiamondsxxsparklesxx]

Forever in my Heart - Chapter One (on Wattpad) http://my.w.tt/UiNb/aQEzNcgQNF One evening while cleaning out the barn, Moira reflects on her first marriage and wonders if she ever really accepted his death, at that point she feels his presence once more.

[theemporiumothefascinating]

@johnbarton:

This is where I'm at on "iterating" our landing page http://t.co/j6VApC10

[rainbowsxxdiamondsxxsparklesxx]

Got a new fanfic for you guys Its called the Subshine Girl its another Barton fanfic its also available on wattpad enjoy and please read the introduction first xxx

[shakespeareplayer]

The Death of York...

…in Wars of the Roses, is brilliant. Once Sinden comes in with “She wolf of France…” that is. Ashcroft’s accent ruins her molehill speech, but her silent work is stunning. Her triumphing is uncomfortable and childlike (which I think is incredible), and once York comes in about Rutland, she begins to crack… it’s pretty stunning. Sindon finally comes into his own here, and it’s a relief to see some work from Ashcroft that I enjoy.

A few choices to steal: Margaret’s napkin of Rutland’s blood is soaked in it. She wipes it across York’s face just drenching him in the blood of his son; The paper crown she puts on him was taken from Rutland by Clifford; The breaking of Margaret (some) at York’s distress over his son. It’s a beautiful choice that humanizes her in one of our last moments to do so.

Onward!

[shakespeareplayer]

Nearing the End of Part 2...

…in Wars of the Roses. Still excellent and incredibly enjoyable.

Two complaints:

Peggy Ashcroft’s accent remains awful and distracting. Googling it, the first reference I found was a Guardian article referring to this as her greatest performance, and mentioning that she maintained an accent throughout to represent Margaret’s foreignness. It’s a choice, I guess. But it’s ruining the performance for me. Maybe it wasn’t as distracting on stage...

I’m hating Barton’s cutting of Warwick. He’s manipulated the text to make him the mover behind much more than he is in the play. Most specifically, he’s blunted York, taking away almost all of his faculty to hand it over to Warwick. Unlike any other manipulation thus far, it really changes and undercuts the character Shakespeare wrote. I can’t imagine feeling any sympathy for him later on.

But that aside, carrying on with glee.

[shakespeareplayer]

Through Part 1...

…in the Burton/Hall Wars of the Roses adaptation.

It’s pretty fucking excellent. Rooted, intimate, clear, with hardly any affectation or flowery drivel. Take away how old it looks, and this could play today no problem. David Warner is brilliant as Henry, Janet Suzman as Joan, Paul Hardwick as Gloucester, Charles Kay as the Dauphin, Clive Morton as Talbot are all fantastic. I’m somewhat meh on Sindon’s York as he seems to be playing the same note again and again, and Nicholas Selby’s Winchester is ridiculous… the only true offender in affectation and wide-eyed eyebrow acting. Oh! And Peggy Ashcroft has just arrived as Margaret… and her accent is appalling. It’s some sort of french that makes her sound… well, it’s awful. She’s supposed to be brilliant in this… here’s hoping she drops the accent.

But truly… it’s bloody great. (Not that I’m surprised.)

[shakespeareplayer]

Dotty makes the speech very contained, determinedly keeping control, observing all the gear changes in the speech. 'It's a balancing act isn't it?' says John, tucking his chewing gum round his molars. 'One rehearsal I might say to you, "OK tear you hair out a bit more, go for it" …another day I may say "Stop emoting", and we'll eventually find the balance which suits both of us. As long as you surrender to the text and let the words work for you.'… 'I tell you another thing,' says John, fiercely scratching his salt and pepper thatch of hair. 'Respect the monosyllables. Almost all the great lines in Shakespeare are monosyllabic, have you noticed? "I am the sea" -- Titus' great line. Simple human speech. Constance's "I am not mad", Hamlet's "To be or not to be" -- see what I mean?'… We decide to end by summarizing what we've learnt over the two sessions and then distilling that down into ten major points, and prioritizing them. The list will be particular to this group; a subjective choice, not necessarily definitive or exhaustive. John suggest a headline for our list: TO MAKE AN AUDIENCE LISTEN. I go round the group for contributions. 'Tell the story,' says Jennifer. 'Aim for the full stop,' says Tony 'Own the words,' says Ivan. 'Go for the antithesis,' says Dan. 'Play the argument,' says Sello. 'Surf the verse,' says Martin. 'Fresh-mint the images,' says Oscar. 'Ask the question,' says Gys. 'Decide who you are talking to,' says Charlton. 'Respect the monosyllables,' says Dotty. And Bruce Koch, who has been standing quietly at the back, adds: 'Learn your lines!'

Gregory Doran on verse work with John Barton, Woza Shakespeare!

[shakespeareplayer]

John points out that Marlowe uses the verse form in a very regular way; indeed, the beat is so regular in Marlowe, it's easy to become monotonous. He gets rather carried away with the music, whereas Shakespeare energizes the form by making it irregular, going against the stress, adding an extra note and so on, like a jazz musician improvising around the beat. John also makes the point that people use blank verse in everyday life. It's a simple way of phrasing and ironically, rather than heightening the language, often it can help the actor to become more naturalistic.

Gregory Doran on John Barton, from Woza Shakespeare!