(RNS) Three hundred and seventy-three years ago, when the chief Puritan “divines” of the young Massachusetts Bay Colony printed their own translation of the Bible’s Book of Psalms, they prided themselves on importing the continent’s very first English printing press and establishing the colony as a cultural and educational center.
What they were certainly not anticipating — the little books sold for 20 pence apiece — was that next Tuesday (Nov. 26), Sotheby’s will be auctioning off one of the 11 surviving copies of the Bay Psalter for between $10 and $30 million dollars. In that expected price range, it will be the most expensive book ever sold in public.
Read the entire post here: En route to Sotheby\’s, Bay Psalm Book traces nation\’s seesaw religious history | Religion News Service.
Earlier we shared a post from the NY Times. Here is another perspective provided by Religion News Service (RNS). The auction is Tuesday, November 26, 2013.
As both articles implied the congregation, Old South Church in Boston, was divided about selling this copy. I am reminded of the conversations I’ve had about the Roman Catholic Church selling some (many?) of its Vatican treasures in order to fund service to the poor, outcast, marginalized, and oppressed. It seems this is the purpose (funding service ministries) being pursued by the Old South Church congregation. What are your thoughts about this?
Image: via RNS
Hear what the Spirit is saying 