Can American book buyers ever have too many Bibles? Apparently not, if new research is any indication. A recently released survey of book consumers and bookstore buyers commissioned by Zondervan reveals that the average customer in both Christian and general trade stores owns an average of seven Bibles and is still buying. As the overall strength of the religion category continues, it seems unlikely that book buyers' passion for the Good Book will abate anytime soon.
Viewed from a variety of angles, the Bible and sacred texts market at the end of our eventful century displays encouraging strength and diversity. In "Of the Making of Many Scriptures," Kimberly Winston surveys the broad landscape of sacred text publishing, outlining the trends and examining the new titles. She discovers that although the production of niche editions of the Bible has slowed, it has not stopped, having found a new focus in the wake of the tragedies in Littleton, Colo., and Fort Worth, Tex. New editions designed for teens may be the biggest story in Bibles this season, as publishers try to offer the ancient Scriptures to a new generation in need of a spiritual safe harbor.
In a sign of our times and evolving demographics, a major new translation released this year was the International Bible Society's Spanish-language Nueva Version Internacional (NVI), which debuted in February. Another historic translation is in the works at Crossway Books; the English Standard Version (ESV) -- based on the Revised Standard Version (RSV) -- has an estimated release date of summer 2001. And although the Christian Bible in all its many versions still dominates the market for sacred texts in this country, there are landmark releases from publishers of the scriptures of other faiths. From the Jewish Publication Society comes the JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH, 30 years in the making, offering Hebrew and English versions on the same page for the first time. Early next year, Mesorah Publications/Artscroll Library plans to release its new English-only version of the Stone Edition Tanach. Both of these translations promise to make the ancient Scriptures of Judaism more accessible both to Jews and to the increasing numbers of Christians who are interested in reading the original Bible. In another groundbreaking mission of joining modern readers and ancient texts -- in this case, the sacred book of Islam -- this month White Cloud Press releases Approaching the Qu'ran: The Early Revelations. Other titles offer new translations and versions of the texts key to Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and other faiths.
The boom in children's Bibles and Bible stories that became evident in 1996 continues, and Shannon Maughan ("In the Kids' Corner") highlights the many new offerings and solid backlist bestsellers in that growing subcategory. Michael Kress ("The Bible as Art and Literature") shows how novelists, p ts, literary critics, artists, book designers and artisans approach this core book of Western culture. And Jana Riess ("In Commentaries, Practical Approaches Are Key") highlights just a few of the many commentaries on the Bible that have been published this year.
Meanwhile, the multimillion-dollar promotional campaign for Tyndale House's spring release of its contemporary English Bible, The Book (based on its own New Living Translation), is heating up in anticipation of the Christmas gift-giving season. In "Sorting Through the Stacks," Marcia Z. Nelson outlines that ambitious effort and other creative and aggressive approaches Bible publishers are taking to get their products into the shopping bags of consumers, including solid programs of merchandising support and training for retailers. Sidebars highlight the importance of those retailers' selections as they build their Bible sections, as well as the new but growing role of online sales.
What all of these writers discovered confirms that if publishers keep giving consumers appealing new choices, and booksellers stock and sell them effectively, the wisdom and inspiration contained in the ancient scriptures of America's rainbow of faiths will keep right on selling, year after year.
