Bible Illuminated: The Book, New Testament by Illuminated World (which I previewed here) is unlike any Bible I’ve ever seen, and I know some people will have a hard time calling it a Bible. It looks, feels, and smells like a magazine (a very expensive magazine, according to the $35 price tag).
Reading Bible Illuminated definitely was an experience. I looked it over carefully, read some of the pages, thought a lot about the images, and discussed it with my husband and friends. I’m still having a difficult time putting my thoughts and feelings into words.
The cover is just as stunning in person, and the images within the pages are vibrant. The pictures are intended to shock people out of their comfort zones, make them think about their faith in a new way, to generate discussion. While most of the pictures made sense in the context of the Scripture verses accompanying them, others did not–and some appear to be included for the shock value alone.
Some of the images made me uncomfortable, including a picture of the cult leader Jim Jones and the Jonestown mass suicide. On the picture of Jones is this verse from Philippians: “All I want is to know Christ and experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.” And in the numerous pictures of celebrities and activists accompanied by the verse, “God said, ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you to open the way for you,'” is a picture of John Lennon smoking and wearing a tie with a nude woman on it. Out of all the pictures available of Lennon, why was that one chosen?
But I think that the images that make me most uncomfortable are there for that very purpose, challenging me to deepen my faith, defend my faith, and get excited about my faith. And I can see how young people bored with traditional, picture-less Bibles that seem so far removed from what is going on around the world today, along with those who have little knowledge of Christianity, might need something like this to light a spark within them.
As for the Good News Translation used in Bible Illuminated, I compared a few passages to those in my New International Version and New American translations, and they were pretty much the same. This translation is very easy to understand, and verses that are displayed with the images are highlighted to show them in context. However, it would be very difficult to use Bible Illuminated in a Bible study group due to the lack of chapter and verse notations. When I was making the verse comparisons, it was difficult because I had no idea what chapter and verse I was looking at in Bible Illuminated.
Though Bible Illuminated won’t be the first Bible I pull off my shelf, I think it is a resource that serves a very important purpose. If it gets people to talk about Jesus, to think about the importance of His words today, and to take action to help those around the world in need, then the book has done a lot of good.
However, the one thing I found offensive was the cover of the upcoming Bible Illuminated: The Book, Old Testament, slated for release next year. The cover is a closeup of a couple’s face, mouths open, getting ready to share what appears to be a very sensual, sexual kiss (at least in my opinion). What does this have to do with the Old Testament? I couldn’t think of an answer, but if any of you who have seen the picture have an idea, please share!
Disclosure: I received a copy of Bible Illuminated from Lisa Roe, Online Publicist for review purposes. I am an Amazon associate.
© 2008 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I’m looking forward to receiving and reading the hard copy of 
Diary of an Eccentric 