‘Light and Fire: 500 Years of Tyndale’s New Testament’ is an exhibition celebrating perhaps the most dangerous book in history...

Staged at Bishop Auckland’s Faith Museum, this landmark showcase marks half a millennium since William Tyndale risked—and ultimately lost—his life to translate the scriptures into plain English. Smuggled into England in bales of cloth, his tiny volume bypassed king and clergy to hand the vernacular power directly to everyday readers, fundamentally reshaping both Western faith and the English language itself. Displaying exceptionally rare surviving copies alongside historic artefacts, the exhibition explores how a simple act of translation sparked a religious revolution. It is an extraordinary testament to the enduring power of the written word, courage under fire, and the dangerous pursuit of truth.

Light and Fire: 500 Years of Tyndale’s New Testament, until 31 December, The Faith Museum, Bishop Auckland, aucklandproject.org