New translation of Bible aimed at young people

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Years in the making, publisher Zondervan is releasing a new translation of the Bible this week that's aimed at young adults -- accompanying the effort with a $1 million media blitz.

"We believe it's the best combination of readability and reliability of any Bible," said Ben Irwin, product development manager of Zondervan's Bible group. "It doesn't sacrifice one for the other."

The translation, called Today's New International Version (TNIV) aims to be more gender-neutral in some cases and, in others, a little more clear and plainspoken. Here, Jesus doesn't walk on water "in the fourth watch of the night" as in the King James version; instead, it's "shortly before dawn."

Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, is aiming the new Bible at 18- to 34-year-olds by advertising in publications and Web sites including Rolling Stone, Modern Bride, The Onion, MTV.com and AOL.

Zondervan's research indicates young adults are leaving churches in large numbers but remain more "spiritually intrigued" than any other demographic, said Paul Caminiti, vice president and publisher of Bibles.

John Wilson, editor of Books & Culture magazine, a sister publication of Christianity Today, said Zondervan is making an educated marketing move.

"Obviously, if the strategy was to somehow change the essential nature of Scripture to appeal to a particular demographic, that would be something that would be both silly and wrong, but that's not what they're trying to do," Wilson said.

Rift with Rolling Stone magazine over ad

An independent group of 15 leading biblical scholars, led by the Rev. John Stek, a professor emeritus at Calvin Theological Seminary, developed the new translation. The same group worked on the New International Version of the Bible in the 1970s.

The International Bible Society, a global Bible translation and outreach ministry, commissioned the TNIV. It's the copyright holder and will publish versions for use by other ministries and evangelists while Zondervan is the commercial publisher.

The New Testament version of the TNIV was released in 2002; the Old Testament is now being added.

Zondervan moved up the release date of its new Bible by two weeks after a much-publicized rift with Rolling Stone magazine.

Part of Zondervan's marketing strategy was to place a half-page ad in the magazine's Feb. 24 edition, and it purchased the ad space last July. But in mid-January, Rolling Stone publisher Wenner Media LLC decided not to publish the ad after all. Wenner management said its policy was not to accept advertisements for religious materials.

About two weeks later, Wenner reversed course and decided to run it. The publisher issued a statement in which it explained that "internal miscommunications ... led to the previous misstatement of company policy."

The wording changes in the TNIV play out in interesting ways.

The King James Version of Psalm 1:1 reads as follows: "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

In the New International Version, it reads: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."

In the latest version, the translation is: "Blessed are those who do not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers."

The new verse eliminates the word "man" in favor of "are those," but Stek said there are certain elements that had to be retained because of their meaning and their use elsewhere in the Bible.

The gender-neutral language in the TNIV has been savaged by conservative Southern Baptists and some evangelicals, who oppose toning down many of the masculine pronouns found in earlier versions. Other religious leaders have endorsed the book.

Zondervan officials said all gender-related changes in the TNIV are intended to update only the masculine terminology that -- in the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages of the Bible -- were intended generically.

The Bible launch includes hardcover and softcover full-text editions of Today's New International Version, men's and women's Bibles, pocket Bibles and even one bound in a bright green, faux alligator skin cover.

CD audio and downloadable mp3 audio versions are available, too. In all, there are nine editions of the TNIV.