YANIVB
“Of making many NIV
Bibles there seems to be no end, and a lack of TNIV Bibles wearies
my soul.”
(With apologies to Qoheleth and Ecclesiastes 12:12)
I took an online survey from Zondervan
tonight for a YANIVB. What’s a YANIVB? Well, YANIVB stands
for “Yet Another NIV Bible.” While the TNIV seems to be
losing ground everyday, it seems that there’s no end in sight
for new NIV Bibles.
The Bible in question here? Well, it’s based upon the work of
Lee Strobel and called The Case for Faith Study Bible.
It’s so early in development stage that if you run a Google
search on this Bible right now--even if you put quotation marks
around it--you won’t get any hits. At least if you run your
search within a close timeframe for my writing this post.
The main thrust of the survey was to select which cover I liked
best:
Incidentally, I liked the top right
cover best and the bottom left cover second best.
Of course, as you would guess, I’ve got a HUGE problem with
this Bible. No, it’s not the theme. For what it’s
worth, I think Lee Strobel is a great guy, and I’ve given
away some of his books. My problem with this Bible is that
it’s a NEW Bible released with the NIV as its text rather
than the TNIV.
I really don’t understand this. The NIV continues to
cannibalize sales of the TNIV and lessen the latter’s chance
of acceptance. It is clearly shortsighted for Zondervan to keep the
NIV as its flagship translation to the neglect of the TNIV, to
continue to promote NEW products based around the NIV while new
TNIV projects are few and far between. One day the NIV will slip
from its spot as bestselling translation, but it won’t be the
TNIV to take its place because the TNIV will have died from neglect
by that time.
But do you want to know what makes creating Lee
Strobel’s Bible around the NIV most
egregious?
Well, if you go over to TNIV.com, click on the “Who’s
Reading It” tab, and then click on the “Who Recommends
It” tab, guess who appears FIRST!
Thats right! There’s Lee Strobel, front and center, stating
“I’m thankful to have the TNIV as one more valuable
tool in reaching the next generation.”
Well, too bad, Mr. Strobel, we’re going to make you use
the Bible of the last generation: the NIV!
I’ve said over and over that Zondervan needs to put strong
testimonial power behind the TNIV for people to consider it. Lee
Strobel and The Case for Faith Study Bible would be a
perfect match for the TNIV. And yet, before it ever even sees
print, it becomes another wasted opportunity for Zondervan to move
its resources behind the TNIV. YANIVB is what it becomes. When
will the tide turn?
Of course, for all of Lee Strobel’s wish for the TNIV to
become a valuable tool in reaching the next generation, and for all
of Zondervan’s original marketing of the TNIV as a Bible for
the 18 to 34 crowd, can anyone tell me why The Student Bible has been revised since
the release of the TNIV, and yet still remains an NIV Bible?
Here’s a new slogan: “TNIV: The Best Bible No One Ever
Read.”
HT: Jay
Davis
