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100 Minute Bible Launched

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by Ulsterman, Sep 21, 2005.

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  1. Ulsterman

    Ulsterman New Member

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    A new version of the Bible which its author says can be read in less than two hours is due to be launched.

    The 100-Minute Bible, written as a page-turner for those who do not have the time to read the full version, will be unveiled at Canterbury Cathedral.

    Its author, ex-headteacher the Rev Michael Hinton said: "We have majored on Jesus, because he is the central figure in the Bible."

    Bishop of Jarrow, the Rt Rev John Pritchard was a consultant on the book.

    "I don't think most people know the Bible very well," he said.

    "This is an attempt to say, 'Look, there's a great story here - let's get into it and let's not get put off by the things that are going to be the sub-plot. Let's give you the big plot'."

    More than 11,000 copies of the 100-Minute Bible, which is roughly the size of a notebook, have been printed, for distribution to churches and schools.

    It took Mr Hinton more than two years to cut down the 66 books of the Bible into a version that could be read in 1hr 40min.

    He said readers would find all the familiar Bible stories.

    "We majored on the ones that have entered the common consciousness, like Noah's Ark, Jonah and so on."

    The publishers of the book say that, just like the original, the 100-minute version should be a bestseller.

    Len Budd, proprietor of the 100-Minute Press, said: "This is a book for adults and has been written in a style to encourage readers to keep turning the pages, but without resorting to any literary gimmicks."

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4266564.stm

    This is being hailed as the "Bible Lite", and I expect it will produce "Christianity Lite" being ignored by unbelievers as the very literary gimmick it denies being, and received by the "Religious Lite" as a fair exchange for the full counsel of God.
     
    #1 Ulsterman, Sep 21, 2005
  2. Matt Black

    Matt Black Well-Known Member
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    I don't see anything intrinsically wrong with the concept of producing a reduced Bible for quick reading. It's been done before, for example Walter Wangerins Book of God which put the Bible in the form of a novel (admittedly, it took me a wee bit more than 100 minutes to read that).

    Of course, I wouldn't replace reading the whole of Scripture with such a reduced paraphrase. But, as a way into Scripture for those without a solid basis in Bible reading or a general overview of the main themes I can see it potentially being a useful additional resource.

    Though, I'm sure lots of people will read it and find that their favourite bits are left out. And, such a paraphrase is much more prone to emphasising the particular theological view of the author than even the paraphrases of the entire Bible or books.


    The reviews I heard today on Radio 4 were all favourable. The spokeman type person thingy stressed that it is intended to be a trailer for the full show, and one of the guinea pigs expressed the view that having read the 100 minutes version (albeit in 5 minutes - she's a speed reading champion) that she definitely felt inspired to go on and read more of the full fat Bible, having finished Bible Lite.

    I think it's a positive move. Our culture is becoming less and less familiar with the 'story' of Christianity with each generation, and anything that can help to make that more accessible is a good thing.

    Like the Street Bible, I'd be cautious of making it someone's sole experience of scripture, but as a first step, well, anything that helps!
     
    #2 Matt Black, Sep 21, 2005
  3. Daisy

    Daisy New Member

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    Is there a Clift's Notes for the Bible?
     
    #3 Daisy, Sep 21, 2005
  4. Rocko9

    Rocko9 New Member

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    [​IMG]
    Newspapers used to run Illustrated Stories of the Bible but you don't see them anymore.Classics Illustrated, noted for publishing comics about classic stories, has the Picture Bible which I have always enjoyed the Artwork.
     
    #4 Rocko9, Sep 21, 2005
  5. Grimlock Prime

    Grimlock Prime New Member

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    Yes. there have been literally hundreds of "beginner's" Bibles over the decades.
     
    #5 Grimlock Prime, Sep 23, 2005
  6. ASLANSPAL

    ASLANSPAL New Member

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    Still waiting for the 8 [​IMG] Minute Ab Bible ;)


    I hope in this Trivia Pursuit style format they
    speed read the verse "study to show thyself approved"
    or "rightly divide the word..."

    That should slow them down.
     
    #6 ASLANSPAL, Sep 23, 2005
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