A New Bible Experience
It is quite a noble ambition to produce a Bible for modern times that is egalitarian. Lots of times I have heard people say that the Bible is not relevant for our times; now I would challenge them to read this, and ask them if they still say the same thing. This translation does away, where possible, with gender specific references. It helps prevent sterotyping, and broadens the reach of the Bible's message by preventing just one gender group being able to identify with the words. This wasn't so important for me, personally, although I can understand how some people would prefer it this way. For me, it was the modern translation that was more important. I wanted to read the Bible and know that I was really understanding what God intended, rather than the meaning being lost in the laboured prose of the traditional translations. From this point of view, reading this was very enjoyable. I was able to engage with the text more easily, and found new insights that had not been apparent to me before. I will still return to my more traditional copies as to a certain extent the more complicated language seems more authentic. But I know my future readings will have been enriched by the clarity gained through reading The Inclusive Bible.
