THE GREEN BIBLE misses an opportunity to extol Noah’s embrace of mass transit over less environmentally friendly modes of disaster evacuation, but it does highlight the parts of the Good Book “that speak to God’s care for creation” in a verdant shade of soy-based ink. In Bible Illuminated: The Book, the Holy Scriptures are paired with glossy photographs of Angelina Jolie, Al Gore, and Bono, among others, and supplemented with a section inspired by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals project, titled “Eight Ways to Change the World.”
Naturally, such efforts to present the Bible in progressive contexts have not gone unnoticed by more right-leaning believers. Claiming that “liberal bias has become the single biggest distortion in modern Bible translations,” Andrew Schlafly, the fourth begotten son of Phyllis, launched the Conservative Bible Project in August 2009. An online collaborative effort, the project aims to produce “a fully conservative translation of the Bible” that will avoid gender-inclusive language, favor conciseness over “liberal wordiness,” use “conservative” terms like volunteer rather than comrade, and render “the numerous economic parables with their full free-market meaning.” Whatever concise, narrowly gendered language Schlafly and his comrades, er, volunteers conjure to illuminate the free-market meaning of, say, the Parable of the Vineyard Consultants (Matthew 20:1–15), they’ll be hard-pressed to match the pedagogic power of the story of the Bible publishing industry itself.
It wasn’t always this way. In the 16th century, when William Tyndale translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English, thereby unlocking the Word of God to the common man, he was rewarded for his efforts by being burned at the stake. So were most of the copies of his translation. In colonial times, it was illegal to print Bibles in North America; only certain printers in England and Scotland were authorized to publish the holy book. During the Revolution those imports stopped, creating, according to The Centennial History of the American Bible Society, a “famine of Bibles.” So in 1782 the Philadelphia printer Roger Aitken printed 10,000 copies of America’s first complete English Bible. The book came with a congressional endorsement, but when the war ended, cheap imports resumed, domestic competition exploded, and thousands of copies of the Aitken Bible failed to sell. In 1791, he wrote a letter to Pennsylvania’s tax man stating that he’d lost $4,000 on the venture. Today America is characterized by Biblical obesity, not Biblical famine. A 2003 survey conducted by Zondervan, one of the nation’s largest Christian book publishers, found that the average U.S. household contains 3.9 Bibles, and U.S. consumers purchase approximately 20 million new Bibles annually. “Business analysts describe Bible publishing as a mature industry with little prospect for strong growth,” The Boston Globe reported in 1986, but year in and year out, the Bible remains the best-selling book in America.
The glut, in fact, is what creates the demand. Long before Web 2.0 billionaires decided that $0.00 was a price point consumers would find even more tempting than Eve’s apple, Bible societies had started distributing millions of copies for free or at little cost to establish brand awareness, build a user base, and make the formerly expensive, scarce, and highly regulated item a ubiquitous presence in the culture. In 1907, Dr. Henry O. Dwight of the American Bible Society told The New York Times that “something like half a billion Bibles were published and distributed throughout the world during the nineteenth century.” With so much product out there, it’s only natural that publishers make an effort to distinguish their wares. While we tend to contrast today’s scriptural abundance—where golfers, doctors, and members of the Coast Guard can find Bibles tailored especially for them—with a grim, Soviet-like yesteryear in which the only Bible available was a King James Version in a black leather cover with a tiny cross on it, our forefathers actually had a greater variety to choose from than that. “The old tradition of one family bible is passé,” Edward S. Mills, president of the National Association of Book Publishers, told The New York Times in 1929. “A wide variety of editions and prices are now available, children’s Bibles, reference Bibles, beautifully illustrated editions.” But even the world’s best-known, widest translated, most easily obtainable book needs a little professional sales push on occasion. In 1952, Thomas Nelson & Sons published the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Amongst evangelicals, it would prove to be a controversial work, with critics calling it “The Devil’s Masterpiece” and “The New Communist Bible” and condemning its “modernistic scholarship” and textual emendations, especially in Isaiah 7:14, wherein it replaced the word “virgin” with “young woman” and thus appeared to undermine the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus. In its marketing, however, the Revised Standard Version was thoroughly infused with the spirit of capitalism. Thomas Nelson & Sons had started planning its advertising campaign at least three years earlier, and with the help of ad agency Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, spent $500,000 on radio spots, TV commercials, and newspaper ads to introduce the new version. It was, The New York Times reported, “probably the largest [budget] ever allocated to the promotion of a book before it has even been printed.” The initial run of 1 million copies sold out in two days.
In 1984 Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network took Bible marketing to the next level, with an explicit mandate to peddle the Bible as a “consumer item.” Focus groups were enlisted; mall shoppers were surveyed. The conclusion: People wanted a Bible that was as easy to read as a bestselling paperback novel. CBN took the text of a bestselling paraphrase, The Living Bible, made it even easier to read, and rebranded it as The Book. Celebrities such as Dick Butkus, Linda Evans, and Glen Campbell were recruited for TV commercials, and The Book was sold in supermarkets, truck stops, and even hardware stores. In 1999, Robertson resurrected The Book with a $7 million marketing campaign that included two prime-time TV specials, bus shelter ads, a music CD, and a song-and-dance-filled Broadway-style launch at Grand Central Station.
Today’s publishers embrace The Book’s consumerist approach so
thoroughly that the resulting products often seem like parodies.
The Sportsman’s Bible features a camouflage cover and supplementary
essays on “God the Hunter” and “Setting Up a Ground Blind.” The
Veritas Journey Bible combines a compact edition of the New Living
Translation with a TuTone LeatherLike purse styled after “such
upscale brands as Coach, Dooney & Bourke, and Brighton.”
Traditionalists may scorn such commercialized offerings, but anyone
with an interest in the Bible ultimately benefits from them. Every
time a new permutation of the Good Book is added to the
marketplace, the competition among publishers intensifies, which in
turn inspires these publishers to find new niches to target and new
ways to serve their customers. For every gender-inclusive
translation, there’s a translation that specifically markets itself
as the historically accurate alternative to culturally biased
revisionism. For every hipster coffee table Bible that preaches the
gospel of the United Nations, there’s an American Patriot’s Bible
that identifies its ideal customer as “the ordinary man or woman
who loves this nation and believes it springs from godly roots.” At
this point, the only way to diminish the Bible’s power would be if
fundamentalists somehow ended all its questionable commercial
permutations, comic book versions, audio interpretations, niche
devotionals—everything but the King James version in plain black
covers. In this light, the Conservative Bible Project is anything
but conservative. Like all other versions of the Good Book, the
narrow new interpretation broadens the Bible’s overall
appeal.
Contributing Editor Greg Beato (gbeato@soundbitten.com) writes from San Francisco.
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time.
Martin Luther|1.19.10 @ 7:34AM|#
favor conciseness
I trimmed it down as much as I could.
Thomas Jefferson|1.19.10 @ 7:56AM|#
I took out a little more.
Pat Robertson|1.19.10 @ 8:15AM|#
I went insane.
Holly|1.19.10 @ 8:30AM|#
I can't "believe" Greg didn't mention Teh Holy Bibble.
Mike Laursen|1.19.10 @ 9:56AM|#
The cartoon was so-so, but I thoroughly enjoyed the in-depth, Venn-diagrammed discussion of Eve and chicken pot pies.
|1.19.10 @ 1:21PM|#
Bible's broken. Contradictions, false logistics - doesn't make sense. So we'll integrate non-progressional evolution theory with God's creation of Eden. Eleven inherent metaphoric parallels already there. Eleven. Important number. Prime number. One goes into the house of eleven eleven times, but always comes out one. Noah's ark is a problem. We'll have to call it early quantum state phenomenon. Only way to fit five thousand species of mammal on the same boat.
Xeones|1.19.10 @ 8:25AM|#
You guys just wait until i get my Bible fanfic site back up.
|1.19.10 @ 11:05AM|#
luv u
Suki|1.19.10 @ 8:36AM|#
You mean the greatest business story ever told is not the RDA getting monopoly rights to mine unobtainium (Uo) throughout the universe?
King James|1.19.10 @ 9:15AM|#
Beato is almost as unreadable as the Bible itself.
Bobby Conn|1.19.10 @ 9:24AM|#
That's funny. Everyone knows the United Nations is under the rule of Satan.
Ban Ki-Moon|1.19.10 @ 9:46AM|#
One of my many names!
Pingback| 1.19.10 @ 10:01AM
Gospel Music Songs - Zeph Baker announces candidacy for Columbus mayor - Ledger-Enqui links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Web 2.0|1.19.10 @ 10:14AM|#
All this, and he never even mentioned the electronic versions.
The Bible: now available on virtually every kind of PC, gamer's console, and portable device there is; inside a decade, I suspect the Gideons will be handing out nearly all free copies via cell phone.
Pingback| 1.19.10 @ 12:41PM
The Greatest Business Story Ever Told – Reason Magazine | Drakz Bible Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 1.19.10 @ 12:41PM
The Greatest Business Story Ever Told – Reason Magazine | Drakz Bible Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
|1.19.10 @ 1:34PM|#
But making different types of Bibles is not just an to appeal to niche markets. It's also providing more information about the text. There are bibles that focus on historical and cultural explanations and there are others that provide raw or multiple translations of the original languages.
Pingback| 1.19.10 @ 3:32PM
The Greatest Business Story Ever Told - Reason Magazine Image links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 1.19.10 @ 10:26PM
Gospel Music Online - The Greatest Business Story Ever Told - Reason.com « Gospel Mus links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Mike|1.22.10 @ 9:27AM|#
I may be mistaken, but William Tyndale did not only translate from Greek and Hebrew, he travelled to Germany, learned to read German, and translated from Martin Luther's brand new German translation with the help of Luther himself.
Pingback| 1.23.10 @ 5:21AM
Login Into Life links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 2.3.10 @ 7:04AM
Biblical Famine and Biblical Obesity « Cochin Blogger links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 2.3.10 @ 9:21AM
Biblical Famine and Biblical Obesity | Latest News India | Education News | Technolo links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 2.13.10 @ 7:18AM
Business Consultant Discusses The Problem With Business Coaching links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
abercrombie milano|5.27.10 @ 3:06AM|#
It is interesting and informative article. Thank you.
abercrombie milano|5.27.10 @ 3:06AM|#
I like your point! It is of wisdom.
watches|5.30.10 @ 11:13PM|#
I may be mistaken, but William Tyndale did not only translate from Greek and Hebrew, he travelled to Germany, learnedreplica IWC to read German, and translated from Martin Luther's brand new German translation with the help of Luther himself.
outlet for ugg boots|8.25.10 @ 1:55PM|#
This article is old, but I find it hilarious that the Google Ad showing up on this article at the moment is a body make-up that specifically mentions covering up tattoos as part of its purpose. It also mentions stretch marks and varicose veins, but the picture shown is of someone covering up an arm tattoo with make-up.
blancpain replica watches|9.11.10 @ 2:49AM|#
which limited the actions of Congress and by extension had to be incorporated, the Second Amendment stated that RKBA was not to be infringed, and lacked detail as to by whom, and therefore applied to all government. By its very language it was already applicable to the states!
tiffany and company store|9.18.10 @ 5:25AM|#
but I find it hilarious that the Google Ad showing up on this article at the moment is a body make-up that specifically mentions covering up tattoos as part of its purpose. It also mentions stretch marks and varicose veins, but the picture shown is of someone covering up an arm tattoo with make-up.
50 Inch Flat Screen Tv|10.14.10 @ 11:17AM|#
Another excellent post, thank you, this is why I continue visiting here!
nfl jerseys|11.4.10 @ 11:50PM|#
sad
Sheepskin Boots Sale|11.22.10 @ 6:43AM|#
Most of the negotiation auction Uggs Australia Outlet boots you like. The alarming and equally bad advice and the facts do not really abuse this brand. Which is used as Ugg Boots On Sale boots are your friends in the winter.
Sheepskin Boots Sale|11.22.10 @ 6:47AM|#
gives Ugg Boots Online Store boots access most alarming affection air using the price of power.Ugg Boots Outlet Apparently the name is always used cast name. ?
Sheepskin Boots Sale|11.22.10 @ 6:50AM|#
for you. because to achieve simple Sheepskin Ugg Boots can be the figure par excellence of architecture today. Not really fits photos as they are. Ugg Boots Online Store chestnut can entertain your power needs. among the best atom important is the achievement that
Sheepskin Boots Sale|11.22.10 @ 6:52AM|#
There are all kinds of Ugg Sheepskin Boots accept that abound in the market. It complicated the implementation of the agencies that fails that a margin will apparently be the best. But we are in a range to raise awareness of the Ugg Sheepskin Boots Bailey button
Finnish Lapphund|1.21.11 @ 3:46AM|#
This specific content is actually outdated, nonetheless POST get the idea riotous the fact that Search engines Advert displaying for this content at this time is often a entire body make-up which especially brings up protecting " up " tattoos within it has the objective. This also brings up striae in addition to varicose blood vessels, even so the snapshot demonstrated is actually regarding an individual protecting " up " a good equip skin image by using make-up. Finnish Lapphund
David Simmons|5.11.11 @ 4:42AM|#
Power was behind the wish to keep the Bible from the masses. Once reading and writing became more widely spread the power could be retained by creating a big business from the Bible. If this path had not been taken the power would have dissipated.
nike air max|8.2.11 @ 2:22AM|#
is good