Biblical literalism reflects fear of change more than theology

Evidence

Chris notices the pamphlet and leans toward me. “Some people revere the King James version like they were the precise words of, say, Paul, written in English rather than Greek,” he says, “as opposed to a translation that has been updated as we make advances in the field of translation and scholarship. I think it’s about familiarity and fear. People memorized those specific words when they were children, and now, if those words change, the fear is everything else might be up for grabs.” — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers, 93

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains KJV-onlyism as rooted in psychology rather than scholarship.
• XREF: connects to: Biblical literalism died when industrialization severed life-experience from agrarian reality — Fredric Jameson, Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic…, 835; How scriptures are popularly understood, not their literal text, determines social effect — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 954; King James Version literalism stems from childhood familiarity and fear of change. — Katherine Stewart, The Power Worshippers: Inside the…, 93

Broader Connections

• Biblical literalism died when industrialization severed life-experience from agrarian reality #expands (0.82) — Fredric Jameson, Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic…, 835
• How scriptures are popularly understood, not their literal text, determines social effect #qualifies (0.72) — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 954