The Bible Revisioned

December 10, 2008 // 1 Comment »

Posted in Bible, Books, Design

“The Book” currently being sold in The New Testament (Good News Translation) revisioned in 286 glossy pages like a high end magazine designed by Swedish group Illuminated World.
The goal? How do you entice people who don’t read the Bible to pick it up?

Is it too cool? Well it has made the list of “Gifts to avoid this Christmas” in a UTAH Newspaper along with Guitar Hero and Elmo Live. I think its primary use of images really forces one to think and can encourage dialogue in groups. I don’t know how effective it will be to make someone want to read the Bible but I do think it’s a great idea that demonstrates the power of image and the importance of creatives in our body. In communicating Scripture we have the unending task of bridging ancient text with a contemporary context because our symbolic world is constantly changing.

They have a pretty nice website that features daily illuminations for meditation or serve as a devotional.
It’s worth checking out.
www.bibleilluminated.com

Would you buy it as a Christmas gift?

A Coffeehouse Theology Brew

October 22, 2008 // 1 Comment »

Posted in Books, Christianity, Culture, Review, Theology

A few weeks back I mentioned a new read titled, “Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life” by Ed Cyzewski. For readers of this blog and any student of scripture I’d recommend you picking up this book.

Today the Coffeehouse Theology Blog Tour makes a stop at ABCpastor. What a privilege!

Theology is one of those words that seem to just belong to the professionals and the spiritual elite, not for the average person in the pews. The thought of doing theology could simply be intimidating to the average church-goer. Perhaps it’s the suffix -logy (the study of) that makes it seem like something you go to school for and major in or maybe it’s just the idea of studying something that makes people want to stand at a distance from. Oh well. Coffeehouse Theology as the title suggests helps us see that theology is really for everyone, anyone and is something we can and should do especially if we are seekers of God. Everyone has an opinion of God and live accordingly to what they know or believe. Instead of dialogue we’ve drawn lines that separate us. The question we need to ask is what has shaped our particular view of God and theology. Then moving forward what should shape it? As I was reading through this book like how I read everything else I’m constantly looking for how this fits into my Asian-American context. (more…)