Believe, NIV, edited by Randy Frazee, is a book in search of a genre. Frazee, Senior Pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, previously gave us The Story, a popular self-help spirituality text, and has now produced Believe, NIV, and its soon-to-appear companion volume, Think, Act, Be Like Jesus. At first, when I requested the book for review, I'd thought it was a new study Bible, much in the tradition of its predecessor. But it's not.Instead, Believe, NIV, is designed as an abridgement of the New International Version, perhaps the best-selling translation in the publisher's (Zondervan) line-up.
As an abridgement, Believe, NIV, is organized around 10 key beliefs of the Christian faith, 10 practices of a Jesus-follower, and 10 key virtues that make disciples more like Jesus. It's divided into 30 chapters, all of which begin with a key idea (the chapter title) and a key verse, followed by a thoughtful selection of biblical texts that directly relate to that particular theological idea, spiritual practice or virtue. Questions for personal or group reflection are also included.
Thing is, the brief commentary that follows each selection might be difficult and cumbersome for those who want to read the Bible itself. And taking texts out of their biblical context only have readers exposed to less of the biblical text, not more.
I'm sure the idea was to immerse the faithful in a way of reading Scripture that was spiritually forming. I'm just not sure how effective it will be. And whether reading Scripture in an isolated way -- both personally and textually -- is such a good thing after all.
So in the end I was confused by what this "study Bible" actually accomplishes.
I'm not sure it's something I'll use -- or encourage others to use -- in the future. There are just too many holes and too much confusion here.
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