The translation of the Bible into English marked the birth of religious fundamentalism in medieval times, as well as the persecution that often comes with radical adherence in any era, according to a new book, Burning to Read: English Fundamentalism and Its Reformation Opponents.

The 16th-century English Reformation, the period during which the Scriptures first became widely available in a common tongue, is often hailed by scholars as a moment of liberation for the general public, as it no longer needed to rely on clergy to interpret the Bible. But at the same time many Englishmen began believing they had to follow the Scriptures to the letter, said author James Simpson, a professor of English at Harvard University.

“Scholarly consensus over the last decade or so is that most people did not convert to [Protestantism]. They had it forced upon them,” he said, adding that persecution and paranoia became the norm as the new Protestants feared damnation if they didn’t interpret the Bible properly.

Prologues in Tyndale’s Bible warned readers what lay ahead if they did not follow the verses strictly: “If you fail to read it properly, then you begin your just damnation. If you are unresponsive...God will scourge you, and everything will fail you until you are at utter defiance with your flesh.”

Without the clergy guiding them, and with religion still a very important factor in the average person’s life, their fate rested in their own hands, Simpson said.