Lynn Neary reports for NPR’s Morning Edition on the publication of two new bibles that target a modern, and even secular, audience.  Bible Illuminated: The Book is a “flashy coffee-table Bible,” a New Testament with glossy photos of celebrities, international heroes, and other provocative figures.  The Green Bible, made with recycled materials and a simple green tree on its canvas-looking cover, is more conventional in appearance but also carries a contemporary message.  Its aims to “add to the conversation” by highlighting Biblical passages that refer to the environment. Neary writes:

Both The Green Bible and The Book are aimed at the young. But [Dag] Soderberg says that when the illuminated Bible was published in Sweden, it appealed beyond its target audience. In fact, he says, the publisher expanded the market by almost 50 percent in a year.

And Soderberg says there is no question that a new conversation about the Bible is under way in a lot of unexpected places.

He says he’s seen people in offices that are very strict talking about the Bible, “because everybody flips through this magazine. … That’s cool.”

Find her full report here.

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