(RNS) The Holy Bible, a staple of hotel rooms and many American households, remains a popular choice for gift giving, especially now that publishers are determined to light a candle in every imaginable lifestyle niche.
Here’s a quick look at three unique versions:
Real: The Complete New Testament
Target reader: 25-year-old black male
What’s unique: the complete New Testament in a magazine format, with hip-hop photos and features, including “Bible 411″ on Jesus, Resurrection, hell and heaven; and “The Script,” rap renditions of Gospel stories, including Jesus feeding the 5,000 and his Crucifixion.
Bible translation: New Century Version “¢ Publisher: Nelson Bibles, $16.99, in stores
The Outdoor Bible
Target reader: skiers, snowboarders, hikers, hunters, climbers, boaters, or anyone in the military or doing mission work in the outdoors
What’s unique: the New Testament printed on six thin water- and tear-resistant plastic sheets, folded like road maps and packaged in a burlap bag.
Bible translation: New American Standard Bible “¢ Publisher: Bardin & Marsee, $34.95, or $9.95 per “map,” available only online at www.theoutdoorbible.com
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Bible (third edition)
Target reader: complete idiots — or anyone, as the introduction says, “haunted by ghosts of Bible studies past”
What’s unique: maps, timelines, explanation of how an epistle differs from a Gospel, a fair amount of context to the writings of the Bible, a glossary of biblical names and terms, a section on non-canonical books that didn’t make it into the “official” Bible
Bible translation: volume doesn’t include the whole text “¢ Publisher: Alpha, $18.95, in stores
