Bible Illuminated: Blasphemy or Beauty?
N.T. Wright was once asked, after one of his lectures, about having collaborated with British Bible Society on a spread in British Vogue called "The Prodigal Daughter Returns." It was a photo essay based loosely on Luke 15:11-32, with various pictures of a model in different urban settings, each with a snippet from the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The questioner asked why he did it, was he not concerned that some people might misunderstand, etc.I don't remember the exact words of his response, but it was something to the effect that he would gladly and dutifully take the risk of being misunderstood by some in order to get the gospel message into others' heads.
Which brings me to Bible Illuminated: The Book: New Testament. With its pop culture depictions of the New Testament, it's one of many recent attempts to present the Scriptures in an innovative light. “Well-known figures among the more than 200 photographs are Andy Warhol in drag in the Book of John, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, cult leader Jim Jones, Bill Gates and John Lennon,” according to columnist Byron Crawford in The Courier-Journal. “Muhammad Ali, Angelina Jolie, Al Gore, Princess Diana and Bono” are also portrayed as characters from the Bible.
Here are some of the photos from Matthew's Gospel, along with the passages with which they're associated:
There's been a lot of negative commentary on "Illuminated" in the blogosphere. As for me, I'd have to agree with Bishop Wright (I know...big surprise). If it helps get the message out, I'm for it.
The only question for me is what message is being gotten out?
One snippet from the book's website caught my attention:
"...it is aimed to be less intimidating than traditional bibles."
Less intimidating. I think the gospel has already become so un-intimidating in modern Western culture that I'm not quite sure how much more fluffy it can get before it can officially be labeled a "fairy tale." The Bible should be intimidating. It should be life-altering.
Having said that, I like the glabality of the pictures (is that a word?). I like the fact that it associates the gospel with all facets of life. I like the connection between Scripture and modern images, allowing for the reader to make a mental nexus between those 2,000 year-old words and images from today. That's a good nexus to make, if you ask me.
Bottom line, then...It's a pretty cool book to have on your coffee table, but I wouldn't hand it to a new believer or a seeker.
Or maybe I would.
Grace and Peace,
Raffi
Hi, thanks for leaving a comment on my review of this Bible.
I would have liked to hear your opinion of inserting the modern political agenda of the one world nation, the United Nations and pushing us to take actions as outlined by the U.N., rather than us interpreting scripture and taking action on those issues (i.e. abortion).
Have a great day!
Raffi,
Great review - thoughtful and prescient.
And thanks for reading mine.
Thanks Andy.
@Christinemm,
Wow. That might be whole other post altogether. But just off the top of my head, I guess I would probably restate the position from "one world nation versus scripture/action" to "scripture/action so that one world nation, under the lordship of Jesus (a la Eph. 3)."
Grace and Peace,
Raffi
Hi Raffi!
Great review! Thank you so much for stopping by my site and checking out my review. Are you going to be on the look out for The Old Testament version next year?
@April,
Thanks. And, yes, I sure will. Now that should be interesting.
Grace and Peace,
Raffi
Raffi, thanks for the link to your review - it sounds like we're about on the same page!
Grace and Peace,
Catherine
Thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving a link! I think we're in agreement on this version of the Bible. Interesting thought about whether or not you'd hand it to a new believer. I don't know if I would or not, but I had no problem handing it to my son and asking him for his thoughts -- he's 16. I really wouldn't leave it out where little kids could flip through it, though.
Well said!
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric