December 23, 1999
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
Since when did
the Bible include an introduction from a rock star?
Since Dec. 1,
when Grove/Atlantic books released a boxed edition of 12 books from the
Bible, each accompanied by introductions from celebrities such as U2's
Bono and authors E.L. Doctorow and Francisco Goldman.
Known collectively
as the Pocket Canons, the boxed set retails for $24.95. But for those of
you who just want to read, say, Psalms or Job without bothering with Matthew
or Genesis, you're in luck. Each book may be purchased separately for $2.95.
The U.S. release
follows last year's launch of the books in Great Britain. Grove/Atlantic
is confident that the books will move as quickly here as they did overseas,
and has ordered an initial press run of 600,000 copies.
"We've been
getting a very favorable response to the Pocket Canons," says Grove/Atlantic
publisher Morgan Entrekin. "The Bible is a magnificent piece of literature,
but a lot of people still are intimidated by it. With these books, you
can just pick them up and finish one very quickly. Then you can literally
put them away in your pocket. The Pocket Canons also are easier to
read than the Bible, because they're laid out like a regular book rather
than in double columns of chapter and verse."
Lest you think
that this might be the Cliffs Notes version of the Bible, Entrekin stresses
that the Scripture in each book is complete and unchanged. Except for Psalms,
which coincidentally has been the best seller so far.
"Psalms was
so long that we did take some selections from it," he says. "But the other
11 are the full books from the Bible."
When the collection
was released in England, it caused quite the controversy. Prominent clergymen
admonished the publisher for including introductions that characterized
the Book of Revelation as a "sick text."
Entrekin
says that he hasn't heard any flak yet here, but adds, "It's still early."
Martin
Marty, a minister and a professor of religious history at the University
of Chicago, says he doesn't expect the brouhaha in America to be nearly
as inflamed as it was in Great Britain.
"There's
a great difference in public sensibility here and there," Marty says. "In
the U.S., the competition for so many religious voices is strong. So we
find ourselves having to be more careful and reverent. There are still
occasions when interest groups get offended too easily with things, as
they did with `The Last Temptation of Christ' and `Nothing Sacred.'
"The problem
with authors when you're dealing with literature this great is that you
almost have to be outrageous so that you won't be outstaged. If you're
a . . . mild commentator, you're like a Pygmy at Everest. I do get a little
upset when things are done only for sensation. But I think that Jesus can
take care of himself. Basically, it's an open market. If you don't like
it, don't buy it."
While
this may be the splashiest relaunching of the Bible, this is hardly the
first time that the holy Scripture has been parceled off into pieces. Go
to any mission or homeless shelter, and you'll find little booklets of
Scripture from the Bible.
"There's
quite a long history of Bible societies printing out the Bible in chunks,"
says Paul Bramer, associate professor of Christian education at North Park
Theological Seminary. "The difference is that those don't have a famous
person writing a preface to them. I kind of like that angle, though I'd
like to see an introduction by Bono and (English theologian) John Stott
in the same book."
Author
Francisco Goldman, who wrote the introduction to the Gospel according to
Matthew, says that he was surprised when Entrekin initially asked him to
participate. Goldman's work previously had been published by Grove/Atlantic.
But he had never even thought of prefacing the Bible.
"It's
not as though I think of myself as an expert on the Bible," Goldman says.
"I've never read it straight through. So you have a mixture of people like
Bono and me. And then you've got other people like Kathleen Norris (who
introduces the book of Revelation), who is very well-versed in the Bible.
"The Pocket
Canons has worked on me in the way that I think it will for many readers.
They led me to read the whole book - or to start, anyhow."
Entrekin
says that if this collection is a success, they will release another collection
of 12 books in the future.
Sure.
But will the Pocket Canons ever replace the Gideon Bibles found in hotel
rooms? Now that would be the ultimate test of popularity.
|
|
 |