Lord Bragg tells MATT CLARK and CHARLOTTE CHAPMAN that the story of the King James Bible has never been fully told, and its importance in our lives has been ignored for much too long

MELVYN Bragg is not best pleased. While fellow writers have waxed lyrical about the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, he says most have only told half the story.

So he decided to write his own book on the subject to put the record straight.

Now he is on the road, telling audiences across the country why he is appalled at the way the Bible’s profound effect on humanity across so many areas has been rubbed out of our history.

Lord Bragg is on fine form speaking ahead of last Thursday evening’s lecture at the University of York. With eloquence and passion, he explains why the King James Bible was one of the most important tomes in history, and shows why he came to write his book.

“The impact it had on almost every aspect of our history and life has been slowly eroded. Also the impact it had on democracy, on the admission of slavery, the women’s movement in the 19th century, science and attitudes to sex.

“I was annoyed at our history just being erased and I wanted to expose the whole story.

“Nobody has taken the 400 years of it and said just look what’s happened, look at this movement alongside religion. And look what it did elsewhere. This is a restoration, reclamation, giving it back its place in history.”

Lord Bragg had a strong Christian upbringing and says he still enjoys visiting churches and attending evensong. But does he believe in God?

“I’ve changed my mind and passion quite radically regarding religion, but I haven’t abandoned it. I don’t think there’s a personal God or a resurrection, but reason cannot answer everything.

“I do think some things are inexplicable and pulses are out there that we don’t understand.

“There’s something else, I’ve always had a feeling that’s there’s something else and it’s always interested me to wonder what it is.

“As Stephen Hawking says, there are worlds of thought which we shall never know. But to me that is not consistent with a man with a long white beard.

“However, Martin Reeves who I admire a great deal, president of the Royal Society, until he stepped down last year, said: ‘This is my tribe’. I would cadge a lift on that sentiment.”

Fittingly, Lord Bragg’s cathedral tour began in Edinburgh, a stone’s throw from where King James was born, and with touching humility he says it was a surprise that 1,500 people gathered in magnificent places such as Salisbury or Ely Cathedral to hear him speak.

“I loved touring the country, via its cathedrals; seeing the real Britain – just seeing our country close up, place after place, intensely.

“And the thing regarding broken Britain – it’s an insult, as is sick society. These little sound bites do the country enormous damage and that’s not what it’s like.

“Yes, people are having a tough time, but I saw a different slice of life. The people I met are resilient, they tend to be good humoured and stoic. There’s nothing broken about them.”

Nor does Lord Bragg, respected novelist and presenter of the South Bank Show, which ran for years on ITV until 2009 and is to be revived by Sky Arts next year, believe there is much wrong with the arts in this country. In fact, he says they have never been in better shape.

“We, unlike any other country, have a three-pronged support and while, like the NHS, it will never be enough there has been a fantastic increase in funding.

“On the whole, the creative arts industry and our universities are in extraordinarily rude health. If only everything else was as good.”

Amen to that.