Enough has been said about the wretched Today’s New International Version translation of the Bible. I rarely mention it anymore, because it has not become the successor of the NIV, but more of a niche Bible for evangelicals who use it precisely to make a point about their views on gender, etc.
I was struck, however, by an advertisement for the TNIV’s new devotional Bible in this month’s Relevant Magazine (Relevant is a magazine for those evangelicals who wish us to know that they are relevant. They will know we are relevant by our body-piercings and our knowing appreciation of Bono). TNIV is the “official translation of Relevant,” the ad tells us.
The devotional Bible features, in the ad copy, four authors of the notes in the text: Saint Augustine, Brian McLaren, C.S. Lewis, and Rob Bell. No chronological snobbery here.
McLaren and Bell need no introduction. They’re practically members of U2.
C.S. Lewis wrote an early screenplay for The Chronic(what?)cles of Narnia movie that provided the context for Saturday Night Live‘s “Lazy Sunday” skit. He smoked and drank too, which makes him all the cooler. And Augustine wore a hat that was, dude, awesome. Seriously. Plus, he didn’t have all the sexual hangups and “culture war” attitudes that most Christians have now. Oh, well, maybe he did. But still.
It’s all about the Hamiltons, baby.
