Bible Design Blog

The Books of the Bible (TNIV)

The Books of the Bible is a fascinating project from International Bible Society, a new approach both to the design and organization of the biblical text. The emphasis is on better Bible reading. To that end, the designers have made a series of intriguing choices. Here's a run-down from the project's site:

* chapter and verse numbers are removed from the text (a chapter-and-verse range is at the bottom of each page)

* individual books are presented with the literary divisions that their authors have indicated

* footnotes, section headings and other supplementary materials have been removed from the text (translators’ notes are available at the back of each book)

* the books of the Bible have been placed in an order that provides more help in understanding, based on literary genre, historical circumstance and theological tradition

* single books that later translations or tradition divided into two or more books are made whole again
(example: Luke-Acts)

* single-column setting that clearly and naturally presents the literary forms of the Bible’s books

The project is styled as a "presentation" of the Bible, highlighting the novelty of the approach. The Books of the Bible is meant to encourage a new way of seeing. Instead of focusing on the verse or the chapter, the emphasis is on whole books. This is music to my ears, and it's no surprise that since this project debuted, I've been getting lots of e-mails asking, "What do you think?"

After spending some time with the Books of the Bible, I'm ready to answer.

On the Radio: Prime Time America @ 4:30 PM (Central)

This is short notice, but if you happen to be a Prime Time America listener, I'm booked to appear on the show today to talk about Rethinking Worldview. It's a live interview, and it should be on the air somewhere around the 4:30 PM mark, give or take. If you're not in the listening area, you can follow the link to the Prime Time America site and listen online.

For the binding purists out there, I'm sorry to report that Rethinking Worldview has a glued binding, a paper cover, and no ribbons whatsoever. The page edges aren't art-gilt, either. And I haven't heard even one rumor that R. L. Allan plans to do its own run of the book bound in highland goatskin. The text is, however, set in a single column, so that's something!

Making Single Column Settings Work

There is no one-size-fits-all design solution for the Bible. In addition to being the "bestselling book of all time," the Bible is also one of the most complex design challenges. One of the things I advocate for at the Bible Design and Binding Blog is a single-column text setting. But I'll be the first to admit that this isn't a panacea. Some people are going to prefer the traditional double-column design, and that's fine. I would never argue that double-columns should disappear -- I'd just like the other option to be more readily available.

The thing is, Bibles are set in two columns for a reason. Because the Bible is so big, the text tends to be small, and stretching a line of 6 pt. type across a 6 x 9 inch page isn't a recipe for readability. With two columns, a designer can fit more words on the page, and the individual columns can still be proportioned for easy scanning.

To make a single-column setting work requires more than just waving my design wand and converting one column into two.

Allan's Reference ESV in Tan Goatskin

Nothing I have ever done in the course of my life has generated more enmity among the wives of quality-conscious Bible readers than my original review of the Allan's ESV in black goatskin. As a result of that little essay, countless people have learned firsthand the devastating effects of a weak dollar, and many more have promised themselves to take a trip some day to the Glaswegian promised land where R. L. Allan's is to be found. No doubt they have also hardened their hearts to the plight of the "highland goat," which must by now be an endangered species (so much so that Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, who pastored in Glasgow for many years, told me he'd never heard of such a creature).

For all this, I can offer no apology. My black goatskin ESV from Allan's is splendid, and the new tan one only gets better.

It should be no secret by now that, while I always find something to quibble about, I really like most of the Bibles I write about here. I wouldn't waste time using and photographing and thinking about them if that weren't the case. But I love some more than others, and none more than the Bibles of R. L. Allan's. On this topic, I find it hard to remain objective. I find it hard not to gush. To understand that, you need to know a little history.

Cambridge Wide Margin Reference Bible (NASB)

Like trying to hold water in my hands ... that's what my first experience with the Cambridge Wide Margin Reference Bible was like. I expected the goatskin cover to be flexible, but this was ridiculous. Ridiculously good, that is. Wherever it wasn't supported by my hand, this Bible gracefully plunged toward the floor, almost like it was wet. I half expected it to be dripping, but of course it wasn't. That's the illusion a fine, flexible binding can give. Though the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the translation featured in this edition, is often described as "wooden," this wide-margin felt anything but. It was the best Cambridge binding I've ever witnessed, and one of the best Bibles I've ever handled, period. The epitome of limpness.

For years, Cambridge has been a name to conjure with in the world of Bible publishing. They've been publishing Bibles since 1591, so they've had time to work out the kinks. And at a time when publishers left and right began to let the standards slip, it seemed that Cambridge was holding the line. Sure, there were disappointments -- stiff calfskin, muddled imprints, and so on -- but these were exceptions with Cambridge and not the rule as with most everyone else. When I first began the sisyphusian hunt for the ideal Bible, Cambridge was the first place I turned, and they have rarely disappointed. My favorite New Testament and my favorite wide margin are both Cambridge Bibles.

Even so, I wasn't expecting to be as impressed with the wide margin NASB as I was.

Upcoming Editions from Cambridge: 2008-09

Next week, I'll be reviewing a recent offering from Cambridge, the NASB Pitt Minion wide margin edition bound in goatskin. In the meantime, I have some news to pass along about future editions from Cambridge. (My thanks to Chris Wright and Brian Vos for the information.)

First, some new editions that are solidly on the schedule. In early 2008, Cambridge will release its first ever edition of the NKJV. It will be a Pitt Minion setting available in goatskin and French Morocco leather. Cambridge will also be publishing a beautiful edition of the popular NIV Study Bible in 2008 -- Spring, according to the site. This one will be available in black or burgundy goatskin, which ought to make it one of the most luxurious study Bibles on the market.

Now for some editions with less definite timetables. I'd heard rumors about this, and now it's confirmed: Cambridge will be producing its own editions of the English Standard Version. First, there will be a Pitt Minion edition, and then a wide margin based on the same setting. That means, if you're ultimate dream is an ESV wide margin in goatskin with a binding you can trust, true bliss is just around the corner. (And you'll want to tune it for next week's NASB wide margin review, which will give you an idea what to expect.)

As I said, the timeframes on the ESV are less definite. They could be released as early as the Fall 2008, or as late as Spring 2009, depending on the progress of the new typesetting.

Also, for fans of the New Cambridge Paragraph Bible, there's some good news. Cambridge intends to publish a smaller format of the NCPB, and the planning on this should take place in the next few months. Again, the timetable is uncertain, but it's possible we could see a new edition "in the second half of 2008."

I'd like to thank Cambridge for passing on the information, and emphasize that, with the exception of the editions already listed on the CambridgeBibles.com site, the time factors involved are not set in stone. Still, it's nice to know what's in the pipeline for 2008 - 2009!

Pet Peeve: Keeping Bibles Behind the Counter

I'm not as hard on Christian bookstores as I used to be. It's a tough business to be in, and the products offered (or not offered) on the shelves are just as much a reflection of the evangelical consumer as the bookseller's personal taste, if not more so. The last thing I want to do here is gripe that Christian bookstores aren't perfect. Of course they're not. And with Internet sales taking a chunk out of the pie and big box retailers stocking more and more Christian books, things are not getting easier. Still, there are some things I would love to see change, and this might be a forum for putting them out there.

More than once, I've entered an unfamiliar bookstore only to find that the books I'm looking for -- Bibles -- are tucked away behind the counter, inaccessible without the assistance of a clerk. If the store isn't busy and the clerk is easy-going, this doesn't present too much of an inconvenience, although I can't help feeling some cognitive dissonance. Bibles behind the counter? You need permission to touch? Doesn't seem right somehow.

Talking About Translation

The always-irenic Wayne Leman at Better Bibles Blog links to a back-and-forth on Bible translation theory that manages to generate more light than heat. Translation issues don't get much play here, where the focus is on design and binding, partly because I follow Augustine's advice that it's best to have a variety of translations and compare, and partly because I'd quickly exhaust my little fund of expertise. (If you really want to know my thoughts, I share them in a Radio Worldview podcast called "Bible Translations" which is linked under the Features headline at right.)

One thing I wonder is how the conversation on translation would change if the focus were more on how to translate particular texts than on theory in the abstract. In aesthetics, I know it's possible to build elaborate theories that aren't really borne out in the work of the artists who espouse them, and it seems to me a similar phenomenon happens with translation. We could probably all think of particular renderings that set our teeth on edge -- but is it because of the theory behind the entire endeavor, or the choices made in translating a particular line?

Bibles for Reading, or Reference?

I already mentioned the thirty-day test drive on the Literary Study Bible, but Michael Spencer of Internet Monk fame has posted a review, "Ten Reasons to Love the ESV Literary Study Bible," that's worth checking out. He highlights the format's value in the classroom, where he wants to instill in students a big-picture understanding of Scripture, rather than the traditional microscope scrutiny of verses and phrases in isolation. Which prompts the question, how is the Bible meant to be read?

If I had to boil down my perspective on Bible design, I could distill it into one statement: The Bible is for reading, not a reference work. On the inside, the Bibles I grew up with looked like nineteenth century reference books: crusy old fonts, crowded double columns, an alphabet of symbols hovering over every line. Verses were set off one to a line, difficult words divided up syllabically with pronunciation guides. While the importance of reading the Bible was stressed, in everyday use I was more likely to see people grab a Bible to "look something up." The sorts of Scripture knowledge we valued involved being able to recite verses from memory or having a command of obscure trivia. The "Master Story Line" Spencer mentions in his review wasn't much in evidence.

Test Drive the Literary Study Bible

If you're wondering about the just-released Literary Study Bible, and your questions haven't been answered by the thorough review and interview of Leland Ryken at The Shepherd's Scrapbook, you can now take the LSB for a thirty-day test drive online. Justin Taylor has the scoop:

The Literary Study Bible is now online for browsing. Here's how it works:

You can browse the notes free for thirty days.

If you own (or have ordered) a print copy of the Literary Study Bible, you get free access for six months.

Once your free trial period has expired, you can buy continued online access for $19.99, or $9.99 if you own a print Literary Study Bible.

The Westminster Bookstore has the print version of the Bible (hardcover) on sale for $29.99 (40% off of retail).