Coffee Table Christianity?

[Thomas]

The Illustrated Bible
A Swedish businessman has produced a glossy version of the Bible lavishly illustrated following a glossy magazine/coffee table format. With images "beautiful, violent, oblique and provocative", he hopes to cash in by offering a known text in a different format.

Other versions of Scripture include:
The Manga Bible
The Bible as manga.

The Bible in Cockney
Rewritten in rhyming slang.

The Geordie Bible
Rewritten in the vernacular of a region in the North East of the UK.

The Brick Testament
Bible scenes made out of Lego.

From the BBC website

Thomas

[17th Angel]

I just lol'd....

I am so buying the cockney one. That is freaking awesome lol....

And jesus said.... "av a butchers at this me ol china... This geezer lazarus went up the apples and pears to heaven, and lucky I was ere, the guvna..." lol *goes and buys* (oh that wasn't a clip from the book that was my imagination tickling me...)

FOUND A CLIP! lol...

Jesus asked, "How much grub have you got? Go an' 'ave a butcher's." They told 'im, "We've got five loaves of Uncle Fred and two Lillian Gish."
Jesus then told his disciples to ask all the people to get into groups and sit dahn on the grass.
Jesus then took the Uncle Fred and the Lillian Gish. He broke the Uncle Fred into bits, gave it all to his disciples and told them to give some food to everyone. He also broke the Lillian Gish into bits and told his chinas to pass it on.
Now, would you Adam and Eve it, everyone 'ad enough to eat!

[wil]

Ever since and before King James folks wanted to have 'their version'. Now to some it may be subversion or an aversion, but spreading Christianity is a money makin venture...just consider the value of the land every church and cathedral is on can't flip over the money changers any more.

But I say have at it...any way you can get anyone to develop an interest and then maybe get them to look a little further is valuable...you all know I am not about converting and saving, but getting folks to take personal responsibility and the books can do that as well...

bt Jss sed 'gen, "chldrn, how hard it iz 2 entR d kingdom of God! It iz EZer 4 a camel 2 go Thru d eye of a needle thN 4 a :-$$$ mang 2 entR d kingdom of God."
"w mang DIS iz impossible, bt not w God; aL tngz R posebL w God."

[17th Angel]

I know some may see it as offensive/insult.... Or just to make profit... But hey, there is fun in it also.... And great way to spread the news I think I would like a Devon/Cornish Bible... I might have to work on it myself though :s that would take some time lol.....

I think we should see the light side of it

I know I wasn't too fond on the bible titled.... "Jesus Loves Porn Stars." But I feel that is a different kettle of fish to this lol.

[Nick_A]

For advocates of many forms of Christendom it can be atmusing and even inspiring but it is not Christian. It is just an expression of Christendom and of the same value as any other secular work. It can also serve to remind people of the diference between the two which could be a saving grace.

[Dharmaatmaa]

I don't care if anyone (dis)agreed with me, but I think such 'news' make us remember once more that christianity stopped to be something serious for people. Look at that! Who in Islamic or Buddhist countries will dare afford Qaran of Lego!!? He'll lose his head from shoulders among Muslims. Mikaeel Jackson will do it himself (I mean cutting necks)!!! But here we just have fun when see such an unusual Lego...

[wil]

Originally Posted by Nick_A

For advocates of many forms of Christendom it can be atmusing and even inspiring but it is not Christian. It is just an expression of Christendom and of the same value as any other secular work. It can also serve to remind people of the diference between the two which could be a saving grace.

Exactly what the Catholic Church said about Protestants I believe.

[17th Angel]

Not alot of Jesus Christ Superstar fans on this forum then lol...

[Nick_A]

Originally Posted by Alex P

Not alot of Jesus Christ Superstar fans on this forum then lol...

One thing has nothing to do with the other. I've even played the score of JC Superstar as part of a band and enjoyed it. The trick is to remember it is just an expression of the Great Beast having nothing to do with the intent of Christianity.

[17th Angel]

You are loooooving "the great beast" phrase right now huh? lol....

Of course it has something to do with it.... It takes the story from the bible... And changes it to a different tone and approach... Hence... It is like these bibles...

[juantoo3]

Originally Posted by Alex P

Not alot of Jesus Christ Superstar fans on this forum then lol...

JCSuperstar never did sit well with me, despite having a couple of cool songs.

G-dspell on the other hand...

[juantoo3]

I can't help but wonder if this thread was begun as a subtle commentary on having the Bible available in vernacular?

Just because one could write the Bible in Pig Latin doesn't mean it should be.

At the time of the earliest English translations a part of the impetus was the desire to throw off the oppressive shackles suppressing the laity. No doubt there was political currency gained when Henry VIII started his own church, but the Protestant drive to throw off the highbrow oppressors predated even that. I mean consider: the Mass and other religious ceremony was conducted in Latin, which only royalty, priesthood and extremely wealthy could afford to be educated in to understand. Which meant that the uneducated masses were at the mercy of the upper crust and priesthood to tell it to them straight...a privilege shown time again to have been abused.

So the Protestant masses desired a Bible in the vernacular in order to be able to read it for themselves...and thus conclude that certain "Papal additions" were indeed not Biblically founded. An example would be the practice of indulgences.

My point being, having a Bible available in a language suitable for study is one thing...it opens the way to have the beautiful lessons within come alive on a very real and personal level. But if the purpose is just another translation for fun and financial profit, I am inclined to believe the motivation is amiss.

[wil]

Originally Posted by juantoo3

..Just because one could write the Bible in Pig Latin doesn't mean it should be....My point being, having a Bible available in a language suitable for study is one thing...it opens the way to have the beautiful lessons within come alive on a very real and personal level. But if the purpose is just another translation for fun and financial profit, I am inclined to believe the motivation is amiss.

wiki lists over a hundred english translations... Modern English Bible translations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I believe most translations had to do with either profit or control. Modifying text to meet the needs of whoever commissioned the publisher...this includes the first ones made into english.

As much anime stuff my son likes to read, I believe the manga bible may interest him. And if there were a contingent of folks that preferred piglatin as their language of choice..maybe one should be written in that too.

[Thomas]

Hi Juantoo —

Originally Posted by juantoo3

I can't help but wonder if this thread was begun as a subtle commentary on having the Bible available in vernacular?

Not directly — Someone at work pointed out the news item, so I thought I'd post it ...

Originally Posted by juantoo3

Just because one could write the Bible in Pig Latin doesn't mean it should be.

My thoughts too. I think the difference lies between 'is there a need' and 'is there a buck to be made here' ...

Originally Posted by juantoo3

At the time of the earliest English translations a part of the impetus was the desire to throw off the oppressive shackles suppressing the laity.

An idealistic part, perhaps, but (having not researched it) I don't buy it. I am inclined to think that's more a propaganda whitewash after the event. In my view, the common people were no better off after the Reformation, and in some aspects worse.

Does having the Bible in the vernacular set the people free? I'm not sold on that one. That a reforms were needed, I do not argue. That publishing the Bible in the vernacular would achieve that, I don't see how.

Originally Posted by juantoo3

No doubt there was political currency gained when Henry VIII started his own church, but the Protestant drive to throw off the highbrow oppressors predated even that. I mean consider: the Mass and other religious ceremony was conducted in Latin, which only royalty, priesthood and extremely wealthy could afford to be educated in to understand. Which meant that the uneducated masses were at the mercy of the upper crust and priesthood to tell it to them straight...a privilege shown time again to have been abused.

I think it's pretty well proven that the reformation in England was all about the king getting a divorce — it was not about introducing Protestant ideas (Henry was an opponent of that).

At his death, the emerging aristocracy saw their chance and, the Duke of Northumberland, acting as Regent, set about a series of Protestant reforms that upset a lot of people, including Parliament (he amassed considerable personal wealth via 'the Dissolution of the Monasteries'). He tried to engineer a declaration of illegitimacy against Mary and Elizabeth, to favour Lady Jane Grey as queen, to whom he had married his son, when it was clear Edward had contracted TB. Mary beat him to it, and Northumberland lost his head.

Really, religion was a distraction to mask the political intent of the main players ... it was a sideshow to deflect blame and recrimination ...

Originally Posted by juantoo3

So the Protestant masses desired a Bible in the vernacular in order to be able to read it for themselves...

I really don't think they did? I think people like to insist they did, but I'm really not sure. Remember the 'Protestant masses' were 'Catholic masses' before they were told they were Protestants by those who came to power. The people never had the choice, for example, to say which side they would favour.

And history also shows they did not embrace the new Protestant theologies with any great love.

Originally Posted by juantoo3

and thus conclude that certain "Papal additions" were indeed not Biblically founded. An example would be the practice of indulgences.

Whilst I agree the system of indulgences was open to abuse, and was abused, the practice of praying for the dead is biblically founded, and indeed is part of Jewish Tradition, as it was part of the Christian.

A 'proof' is not in Scripture, but in the interpretation of Scripture ... that's my point. The Protestant Reformers proclaimed sola scriptura in the face of tradition, but that did not mean, nor allow, personal interpretation. They replaced one tradition of authority with their own.

Originally Posted by juantoo3

My point being, having a Bible available in a language suitable for study is one thing...it opens the way to have the beautiful lessons within come alive on a very real and personal level. But if the purpose is just another translation for fun and financial profit, I am inclined to believe the motivation is amiss.

Agreed.

Thomas

[Tao_Equus]

It sits firmly in this concerted drive to try and re-introduce religious thinking into mass UK culture. The great dumb-down into superstitious dogma is being pimped like some cheap whore in every way. From the spooky crap of 'apparitions', with ever so cute and nice and 'trustable' Martin Shaw, to "Hello" bibles, to pseudo-science being vomited out as scientific fact. In every area the corporate media is trying to make people believe in nonsense once again. It is a sad sad sad regression that I can only hope fails.

tao