WILLIAM TYNDALE’S NEW TESTAMENT: A Biography of the Book that Changed Our World

In this landmark volume, acclaimed literary scholar Leland Ryken tells the story not merely of Tyndale the man, but of Tyndale’s New Testament itself. Moving beyond familiar martyr narratives, Ryken traces the life of the book—from its conception and clandestine printing to its explosive impact on English faith, worship, and speech. Readers are guided through Tyndale’s philosophy of translation, the literary power of his prose, the reception of his work in England, and its enduring legacy in later English Bibles.

Written with clarity, depth, and scholarly restraint, this book restores attention to what history often overlooks: the text that cost Tyndale his life and gave the English-speaking world its Bible. Concluding chapters and an afterword by Edward D. Andrews extend the story into the modern era, demonstrating how Tyndale’s achievement continues to shape faithful Bible translation today.

This is the definitive account of the New Testament that changed our world—and the translator who ensured that even the plowboy could know the Scriptures.