Bible Gets Girly Makeover

[donsu]

http://inthesetimes.com/comments.php?id=464_0_3_0_C

In 1999, Thomas Nelson Inc., a Christian publisher, teamed up with Audio Adrenaline, a Nashville band, to form Extreme for Jesus, a subsidiary geared to young consumers. Their first release was Extreme Teen Bible, designed “to show teens that the Bible can be cool and encourage them to be radical about their faith and outspoken in their attitudes and convictions about the Savior,” says Nelson spokeswoman Laurie Whaley.

It sold well. But market research revealed something startling: Buyers of the Extreme Teen Bible were largely young males.

“We took a step back and by 2001 were looking to develop a Bible for teen girls,” Whaley continues. “We knew that gender-specific products did well, so we started by asking 1,000 girls from around the country—in focus groups and online through the Extreme for Jesus Web site—how they felt about the Bible. They told us they didn’t read it. It was too big. We asked them what they read instead and the answer was magazines.

So, this summer the company released Revolve: The Complete New Testament, a glossy, multicolored fashion magazine look-alike. The first 40,000—available exclusively in Christian bookstores and at concerts and music festivals—sold out within a month. A second printing of 120,000 will hit chain stores before Christmas.
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you won't believe what god has told these teenage girls to do.

what a money maker religious fantasy is. (tons, piles, heaps of money and power used politically)

[La_Serpiente]

1. This is not religion

This is a marketing campaign. All of this crap is really pissing me off.

[Drifter]

4. This is not religion

This is a marketing campaign.

You said it ! Or did you ?

I think that's all religion is. It is a big game of "Them Or Us". You can not "win" unless there is a "them" to beat. Religion is all about polorizing people into defining the "Them or Us" for everyone.

Cheers
Drifter

[IrateCitizen]

7. As a religious/spiritual person, I wholly disagree

I think that's all religion is. It is a big game of "Them Or Us". You can not "win" unless there is a "them" to beat. Religion is all about polorizing people into defining the "Them or Us" for everyone.

As an active member of a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, I can tell you that we don't have any "them" -- other than those who stand against justice, equality and respect for life. And our "us" is pretty simple -- all of humankind.

In fact, when you get down to the essence of every religion, that is what they are about. The "us vs. them" things are just evolutions of religion that were brought about to maintain control over people.

[maxanne]

2. unbelievable

It would never occur to them that maybe girls aren't interested in the Bible because it portrays women as an inferior gender - and no more than fodder for rape, slavery, and abuse.

[EV1Ltimm]

3. when will Bibleco go public?

They own television networks, magazines, newspapers, recording labels... kinda like universal or viacom. They could be traded on the nasdaq as "WWJD"

[Bertha Venation]

6. "They could be traded on the nasdaq as 'WWJD'" ROFL

I thought Krispy Kreme had that one. You know, "Who Wants Jelly Donuts?"

[Bertha Venation]

5. calling Ralph on the big white telephone

:puke:
:puke:
:puke:

I thought "The Living Bible" -- which contains the phrase "You son of a bitch!" -- was bad enough.

[Bucky]

8. I like this idea!

The Bible's not exactly my cup of tea. But if religions are able to adapt to modern times with such gusto and verve, who are we to poop on them? I like this because it's integrating two diverse cultural messages and I always like integration. But more importantly, as you start to modernize Christianity to make it more relevant to today's kids, you create all sorts of knock-on effects that only help to liberalize Christianity and the way the country understands the function of religion. And that's a good thing.

Roll your eyes at "Mary Magdalene's make-up tips" or whatever they put in that thing if you like. I think this one eventually tracks the culture toward our direction.

[Blue_Chill]

9. Oh no, religion reaching out to young people! What ever shall we do!

I like my religious fantasy as you so kindly put it. If you have a problem with that feel free tell me all about it, I could use a good laugh.

kthx

[BootinUp]

10. Interesting

I don't know a lot about this from just that article, but I certainly do not have a problem with spreading the word of God. If upon reading the actual new fashioned bible it turned out to be an attempt to turn youngins into fundies then I would have a problem with it.