New eBook looks at publishing’s success story – the Bible

A new book from Dr Greg Clarke, CEO of Bible Society Australia and written for the Society’s Live Light in 25 Words campaign has been released as an eBook on the “Live Light” campaign website.

“The Bible is publishing’s success story and God’s Library is written especially for those who feel that they really should know something about the world’s most influential text, but may have been afraid to ask, put off by the Church, found the black leather cover and cigarette paper pages ominous, or just never got around to it,” said Dr Clarke.

“I’ve tried to keep the tone light and informative, to avoid too many of the debates that stop people in their tracks,” he said.

“I try to answer the question: ‘Why would I bother with the Bible?’ If I manage to succeed there and keep you with me, the second half of the book answers the question: ‘So what really is the Bible, and what do I do with it?’” said Greg.

Under the heading “The Bible Scandal”, the book looks at how “millions of people have been denied a basic knowledge of the key text that has shaped their culture”.

In response, Dr Clarke writes that, “some affirmative action group ought to set up a campaign to get compensation for people who were denied the knowledge of the Bible in their education.”

“These people are at a definite disadvantage if they want to go on to further training. You could even argue that they are socially disadvantaged, since they have been deprived of a deep appreciation of some of the great works of art and culture,” he continues.

Dr Clarke highlights phrases used in everyday speech that few seem to realise come from the Bible. These include: ‘Flesh of my flesh’ (Gen 2:23); ‘The apple of my eye’ (Deut 32:10); ‘A lily among thorns’ (Ecc 2:2); ‘The salt of the earth’ (Mat 5:13) and many more.

“The Bible is clearly a central text for understanding Western (and not just Western) culture. And yet Bible literacy is in a woeful state, not only among students, but also among teachers and public figures,” Dr Clarke writes.

Although written for the Live Light campaign, Bible Society Australia’s hope is that God’s Library will be the start of a re-evaluation of the place of the Bible in Australian culture.

God’s Library by Dr Greg Clarke is available as a free download until November 9  together with a full list of details and other campaign resources.