The Man Behind Tyndale House Publishers’ Name

Names are important. They give purpose, guide conclusions, and prompt action. Tyndale House Publishers was named after Englishman William Tyndale. Dr. Ken Taylor explains why in his autobiography, My Life: A Guided Tour:

“Every company needs a name, even a company with

only one product. I had always been fascinated by the story

of the sixteenth-century Englishman William Tyndale. His

lifetime goal was to translate the Bible into English, even

though there was a death penalty for anyone who dared to

do this. The Catholic church, which controlled the English

government at that time, was afraid that people would

read things in the Bible that contradicted teachings of the

church. For safety, Tyndale left England and hid in Belgium

as he worked on his translation. He finally finished

the New Testament and found a printer to publish it. The

copies were smuggled into England inside bales of cotton,

or landed on lonely British shores at night and carried to

London, where they were bought eagerly by people who all

their lives had wondered what the Bible said.

 

William Tyndale’s dream was accomplished, but in

1536 King Henry VIII arranged for Tyndale to be found,

kidnapped, and burned at the stake for giving the Bible in

English to the people of England.

 

I too had a dream of giving to America a Bible that was

easy to understand. William Tyndale was my hero. So Living

Letters was published under the name of Tyndale House

Publishers.” p. 216-217