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Archive for March, 2011
Bible Revisions and Updates
In time for Easter, Catholics will have a revised edition of the New American Bible. The new version has been updated with clearer translations, thanks to scholars’ ability to use the Dead Sea Scrolls and other archaeological finds that weren’t available until 1991. Many of the changes deal with pronouns. Per the Vatican’s request, gender specific pronouns have been left intact while passages that target men and women use more gender neutral terms like “them” and “they.”
Separately, the Zondervan publishing company is releasing their latest translation of the New International Version Bible. The NIV is the best selling Bible in North America, and is used primarily by evangelicals and other Protestants. The NIV audio Bible is also popular, as is the electronic version which has already sold 40,000 copies of the updated version. Translating gender language has been an issue for the NIV just as it has been for the NAB.
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, or NCC for short, is a partnership of 36 Christian faith groups in the United States. Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African-American, Evangelical, and Peace churches count themselves as members. In total, 100,000 congregations – 45 million people- are affiliated with the NCC.
The NCC does a lot of work on behalf of its members. Some of their activities include theological and educational dialogue among different denominations and social and political advocacy. The NCC was vital in helping to raise the minimum wage in approximately 20 states. The NCC also put together the NRSV Bible which is used in most Protestant Churches and some Orthodox and Catholic congregations.