Book Review: The Voice New Testament

I'm supposed to try to keep these reviews at around 200 words. But this one was hard! I cut it as much as I felt I could. Sorry if it is a choppy read.


The Voice is "a scripture project to rediscover the story of the Bible." It's not your grandpa's KJV. In fact, it's unlike any version of scripture I've ever read.

Scholars, writers, poets, pastors and artists worked together to produce a text that engages the reader with the Story of God and humanity. (In addition to this New Testament, there are music projects and an Old Testament collaboration.) At the beginning, there is an introduction to sort through some of the extras.

For example, for the book of John, there is an introduction like others found in various study Bibles. Then there is a text box with more "from John himself." There are text boxes on each page, offering extra insight but also transitions. Many devotional Bibles have similar boxes with verses pulled out to showcase. But with The Voice, these boxes weren't placed to enhance the design. They were placed to enhance the Story. So were lots of italicized phrases to convey context or what gets "lost in translation" and conversations written in screenplay format. This could be very beneficial for congregational reading.

The language used is intentionally different. My guess is that this is due not only to the input of poets and artists, but also to the goal of engaging a new generation. "Christ" is "Liberating King" to help readers re-realize the meaning of the Name. Other commonly used phrases undergo similar makeovers. This can be good or bad- sometimes it seems awkward or forced.

I'm sure this new version will meet resistance, but it should be embraced. The notion of creating a dramatic narrative is nothing new- it's how Scriptures were passed down for centuries. Anything said outside of the original text is obvious through the format. The scholars consulted were chosen to work together because they had different viewpoints, to avoid any bias. This project was undertaken carefully and reverently. And ultimately, God's message of love and redemption is proclaimed anew.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”