Flashy "Bible" seeks to inspire the ADHD generation
Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Extracurriculars, Ripoffs and Scams, Simplification, Relationships
It's odd to hear people use the term "gateway Bible," as if scripture is an addictive drug that can be pushed on an unsuspecting dupe. However, that is exactly the term that is being used to describe Bible Illuminated, a glossy, coffee-table style version of the New Testament that is coming to the United States, courtesy of Swedish publisher Ab Forlaget. This new edition is chock full of beautiful art photographs and images of celebrities, including Martin Luther King and Angelina Jolie.
When I took Biblical literature in college, my classmates conducted a low-level battle over Biblical translations. Some advocated the King James translation, others preferred the New American, and still others pored through the original Hebrew. The versions that we chose said a lot about us. As a King James man, I liked the formal style of its classical English, although I appreciated that the New American was a little more accessible. My friend who advocated the Jeffersonian Bible was a bare-bones kind of guy, while my Hebrew-reading classmate placed a lot of stock in getting the original meaning and nuance of the scripture. Depending upon our personalities and level of imagination, a different version of the Bible resonated with each of us.
Ab Forlaget's Bible Illuminated seems designed for people with a total lack of imagination and only a tangential interest in scripture. The text is presented in a three-column style, with highlights around important passages, and key sections reprinted in large-type insets. All in all, the style should be familiar to any reader of Playboy, Harper's Bazaar, or Us. Essentially, it looks like a fashion mag that has been annotated by a not-particularly-bright high school student.
In case the highlights and insets don't make the message clear enough, Bible Illuminated also contains lots of pretty pictures, with captions taken from the text. Thus, "She shall have a son, and you will name him Jesus" appears beneath a photo of a veiled Middle Eastern woman and her son. Similarly, the Three Wise Men's question: "Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews?" graces a picture of three inner-city youths in full street wear, striking rap star poses. While the images are beautiful and powerful, as well-designed as the fashion photographs in any oversized women's magazine, the overall package is scattered, shallow, and somewhat condescending. This version of the good book, which is available for preorder, will undoubtedly be a big hit with the Glamour crowd, but it seems to send a confused, simplistic message.
Bible Illuminated is, arguably, a notch or two better than Revolve, a Teen People style version of the New Testament that is currently being published by Thomas Nelson. Featuring breathless introductions, "pop-up" trivia, and other stylistic elements borrowed from teen gossip mags, Revolve seems designed to evoke the response "OMG! Like G is so GR8!!!" In its effort to bring the Bible to a teen audience, Thomas Nelson has produced a frightening Frankenstein monster of a tome, crudely stitching the transcendent tale of Christ to the most vapid, mindless portions of pop culture. However, it will undoubtedly look good on a bookshelf next to The Rubaiyyat of Hannah Montana and Brittany Spears' Bhagavad Gita.*
The Bible has been shifted and altered endlessly over the years, and the recent publication of The Green Bible, The Manga Bible, and numerous others point to an ever-growing attempt to sell scripture to niche markets. While there is definitely a lot to be said for inspiring new audiences to gain a deeper understanding of the mysteries and beauties of the Judeo-Christian tradition, the key is to ensure that the medium doesn't obscure the message. In the case of the Angelina Jolie-accented Bible Illuminated, it's pretty clear that the celebrities have become the message!
*By the way, i have dibs on both of these ideas, so back off!
Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. Reading back over this post, he just realized that he is, indeed, a total geek.
New Look for the Bible
The New Testament is getting a jazzy new look in a new edition from Illuminated World.
Illustratedworld.com
The glossy coffee table book pairs provocative pictures with the ancient text.
IlluminatedWorld.com
The images come from around the world and include a few celebrities, like Martin Luther King and Angelina Jolie.
Illuminatedworld.com
This version was first published in Sweden, where it sold 30,000 copies in its first year.
Illuminatedworld.com
When I took Biblical literature in college, my classmates conducted a low-level battle over Biblical translations. Some advocated the King James translation, others preferred the New American, and still others pored through the original Hebrew. The versions that we chose said a lot about us. As a King James man, I liked the formal style of its classical English, although I appreciated that the New American was a little more accessible. My friend who advocated the Jeffersonian Bible was a bare-bones kind of guy, while my Hebrew-reading classmate placed a lot of stock in getting the original meaning and nuance of the scripture. Depending upon our personalities and level of imagination, a different version of the Bible resonated with each of us.
Ab Forlaget's Bible Illuminated seems designed for people with a total lack of imagination and only a tangential interest in scripture. The text is presented in a three-column style, with highlights around important passages, and key sections reprinted in large-type insets. All in all, the style should be familiar to any reader of Playboy, Harper's Bazaar, or Us. Essentially, it looks like a fashion mag that has been annotated by a not-particularly-bright high school student.
In case the highlights and insets don't make the message clear enough, Bible Illuminated also contains lots of pretty pictures, with captions taken from the text. Thus, "She shall have a son, and you will name him Jesus" appears beneath a photo of a veiled Middle Eastern woman and her son. Similarly, the Three Wise Men's question: "Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews?" graces a picture of three inner-city youths in full street wear, striking rap star poses. While the images are beautiful and powerful, as well-designed as the fashion photographs in any oversized women's magazine, the overall package is scattered, shallow, and somewhat condescending. This version of the good book, which is available for preorder, will undoubtedly be a big hit with the Glamour crowd, but it seems to send a confused, simplistic message.
Bible Illuminated is, arguably, a notch or two better than Revolve, a Teen People style version of the New Testament that is currently being published by Thomas Nelson. Featuring breathless introductions, "pop-up" trivia, and other stylistic elements borrowed from teen gossip mags, Revolve seems designed to evoke the response "OMG! Like G is so GR8!!!" In its effort to bring the Bible to a teen audience, Thomas Nelson has produced a frightening Frankenstein monster of a tome, crudely stitching the transcendent tale of Christ to the most vapid, mindless portions of pop culture. However, it will undoubtedly look good on a bookshelf next to The Rubaiyyat of Hannah Montana and Brittany Spears' Bhagavad Gita.*
The Bible has been shifted and altered endlessly over the years, and the recent publication of The Green Bible, The Manga Bible, and numerous others point to an ever-growing attempt to sell scripture to niche markets. While there is definitely a lot to be said for inspiring new audiences to gain a deeper understanding of the mysteries and beauties of the Judeo-Christian tradition, the key is to ensure that the medium doesn't obscure the message. In the case of the Angelina Jolie-accented Bible Illuminated, it's pretty clear that the celebrities have become the message!
*By the way, i have dibs on both of these ideas, so back off!
Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. Reading back over this post, he just realized that he is, indeed, a total geek.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 39)
10-08-2008 @ 3:21PM
TC said...
THE BIG BOOK OF LIES CONTINUES TO REPEAT ITSELF
Reply
10-08-2008 @ 3:37PM
JP said...
"...blah blah BIBLE blah blah..."
Ding!
"Bible? Oh! Must...type...reflexive...comment...about...lies..."
Familiar process, TC?
10-08-2008 @ 3:54PM
Mark said...
LIES??? show me one lie. Jesus did exsist and there are many other writings and evidences of his exsistance and his claim to be the son of God. You can certainly choose to not believe his message, but a book of lies is just plain inaccurate.
10-08-2008 @ 7:29PM
H Morris said...
Dear TC,
Sorry to hear that your reading Darwin again. It is a shame that people continue to believe that book of lies.
10-11-2008 @ 4:12PM
bt said...
The new testament is actually a book of lies if you really examine it closely you will see many contradictions in the writing. And I'm sorry to be trashing on christians because I believe that everybody has a right to practice whatever religion they so choose but if you guys worship a trinity and believe that jesus is the "son of g-d" then wouldn't that be polytheism and not monotheism which christianity is preached as. As well this new "new testament" is revolting and is a detriment to religion period! As a side note if you want a real true book of religion look towards the real bible or the "old testament." This is just my opinion if you disagree please feel free to do so. ty
10-11-2008 @ 6:34PM
betty said...
how come you waste your time talking about something of which you apparently know NOTHING about?
10-11-2008 @ 4:00PM
H. DALQUEN said...
THE BIBLE IS THE OLDEST WAY TO GET THE POOR SUCKERS OF THE WORLD TO KNUCKLE DOWN., SAME GOES FOR ISLAM AND ANY OTHER RELIGION.TOO BAD WE HAD TO PUT OUR FEET IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IT IS OFFENSIVE TO THEM, WE SHOULD KNOW BETTER.
I TRY TO LIVE A DECENT LIFE AND NEVER HUIRT ANYONE
RELIGION IS THE REASON FOR SO MUCH DEATH.AND MISERY OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
10-12-2008 @ 4:55PM
MB said...
Book of lies... ??
What if it's not? Why is the Bible a book of lies?
Is the QURAN a book of lies also?
I have never seen or read anything that can disprove either... but to each his/her own opinion.
10-11-2008 @ 4:44PM
Karen said...
okayy...
I am 16 and belive in god.... but the one thing I dont belive in is the bible!! People prasie this book that could have been written by anyone about some great man.... a drunk could had written this and people are prasing it!! I no that it might sound weird that I belive in god but not the bible but that is just how i feel. And I do belive there is a higher spirt than us but virgin mary... noah's arh... i mean come on now... what "PROOF" do we have that all that happened .... I know the bible i am not ignorent but all of it is just words... and i refuse to prasie WORDS!!
10-12-2008 @ 2:59PM
lisa said...
I feel sorry for anyone who does not know the only begotten son of GOD. Instead of slandering the Bible, maybe you should pick it up and "really read it". If you are up to the challeng. Anyone wanting to discredit it can do so. But do you really want to live in Hell for eternity. Everyone has to stand before "THE BIG GUY" on the day of Judgement its up to you how you are saved or punished. It's all about free will. So do not blasphemy what believers believe.
10-11-2008 @ 5:37PM
alli said...
what is wrong with you
10-11-2008 @ 8:13PM
Renita said...
You know its understandable and okay that you would have some doubts about Christianity and the Bible, but to degrade and put down other people's religion and beliefs is just wrong. And you know there is nothing wrong with believing in something that is good and has no affect whatsoever on someone else...Grown Up, be a man and be respectful, because you're they one who has to answer to God.
10-11-2008 @ 6:11PM
Spence said...
um... book of lies? riiight.
I'd do a little more research on it if I were you.
10-11-2008 @ 6:12PM
curtis said...
big book of lies?? oh man i feel for you on judgement day!!
10-11-2008 @ 7:38PM
Rebecca said...
I feel sorry because you have to be the stupidest person I have
ever heard of, you say it is a book of lies, well then let me ask you this, have you ever read any of it? Have you ever read the words Jesus spoke on how the world would be when he returned, like it being in the days of Soddom and Gommorah? The things Jesus spoke of are happening right in front of our eyes. Just because you are an unbeliever does not make them lies. We are in the age of technology which is another thing Jesus spoke of.... wars, rumors of wars, so much is happening. Open your eyes guy! This is the truth!
10-11-2008 @ 7:39PM
Rebecca said...
I feel sorry because you have to be the stupidest person I have
ever heard of, you say it is a book of lies, well then let me ask you this, have you ever read any of it? Have you ever read the words Jesus spoke on how the world would be when he returned, like it being in the days of Soddom and Gommorah? The things Jesus spoke of are happening right in front of our eyes. Just because you are an unbeliever does not make them lies. We are in the age of technology which is another thing Jesus spoke of.... wars, rumors of wars, so much is happening. Open your eyes guy! This is the truth!
10-11-2008 @ 8:41PM
MSC said...
All of you that do not believe need to wake up and see what is happening around you. Do you realize that we are now living in the last days and Jesus could return any moment now. Please, for your own sake, think about it, read the book and listen to your heart after you read the book. Pray and ask for the wisdom to understand in your heart for the truth of what you seek. I know, I know, it sounds like preaching, but living with Jesus in your heart is so much better than living without. Please trust me on this, I fear so many people will be lost if they do not wake up and see what they are doing and seek out Jesus NOW! MSC
10-11-2008 @ 7:32PM
me said...
I go to a jesuit high school. People who believe in the Bible literally are extremely stupid like Sarah Palin. The only important parts of the Bible are the moral lessons it teaches.
10-11-2008 @ 7:51PM
Angie Hite said...
This is too graphic. Why does it need to look so dark and
gothic? God is love and light, not darkness. These pictures
seem to be more of scare tatic. Not a reflection of God's love.
Are you incenutating that ADHD is dark and evil. I have ADHD
and assure this is not my perception of what the Bible represents. But hey, I what do I know I am a born again, blood
bought Christian, that believes Jesus died for out of love.
That is ALL I NEED TO KNOW!
10-11-2008 @ 8:35PM
KM said...
TC
It amazes me that one could call a book with so much truth, "a book of lies."
I look at the lives of those who truly live by this book and they are the greatest individuals you could know. They attempt to live their lives in an honorable manner, loving their wives and children; working hard at their jobs, paying their taxes and being good to their neighbors.
Did you know that most universities were founded based on this book and their very existence was to train ministers? Our government - back when it worked correctly - respected, loved and lived by this book. Go to Washington, DC and walk the halls. You'll see the Ten Commandments carved in stone in many of the oldest, most hallowed halls there. It's what our system of laws is based on.
Surely you agree - If everyone lived by Jesus' words, "love others as yourself" this would actually be a great place to live. By the way, those words come from what you call a book of lies.
TC - here'a a challenge. Ask God to show you that the Bible is real. What do you have to lose? If it's not, nothing lost. If it's real, you've found truth. That's what you really want, isn't it?