A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life

A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life
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I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, –that unless I believed, I should not understand.-- St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

A Whole Seminary Library Always at Hand

This is really cool!
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By Kay Campbell Religion News Service

God may hold the whole world in his hand, but persecuted Christians can now hold an entire seminary library on a fingertip.
Bible League International is working with the Digital Bible Society to carry the thumbnail-sized chips to Christians in countries, such as China or Saudi Arabia, where possessing unapproved religious materials can result in prosecution or even death.

"It's like a miniature Christian
bookstore," said Robert Frank, Global CEO of Bible League International, an Illinois-based non-profit evangelical ministry dedicated to training church leaders using the Bible.

The digital ministry continues the historic
work of the Bible League, which went international after World War II when Gen. Douglas MacArthur asked U.S. Christian groups to send Bibles to Japan.


The Bible League's 2011 merger with the Texas-based World Bible Translation Center expanded its abilities to get materials to Christians around the world in their own languages.

The Digital Bible compresses data for maximum
storage, then copies the material to cell phone cards, thumb drives, CDs and DVDs, depending upon the country where they will be used. The advantage of the format is that a person can use them, but leave no trace on a computer of their use, unlike the trails left by accessing websites.

Publishers who made their work available for the chip have also agreed to allow the copying of the cards without a fee, Mr. Frank said. The works have been translated into Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin and other languages of areas where Christians are persecuted.

"And the content has been donated," said Synetta Armstrong, senior director of global communications for the Bible League, who demonstrated the chip at last fall's Religion Newswriters Association conference. "We want to spread the word of God."

In addition to several versions of the Bible, each of the Digital Bible libraries include worship
music, movies, Bible commentaries, a study library, a copy of Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life and other landmark books about discipleship, ministry and history, as well as more than 1,200 images which can be used for a pastor's study and for teaching others.

"Pastors in these countries want to be trained, but they have no seminaries," said Melany Ethridge, a spokeswoman for the Bible League.
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Check it out here.

3 comments:

Robert Cornwall said...

But is all of this stuff published 300 years ago. Most of these kinds of "resources" are full of Matthew Henry types, which you can find on Google.

Allan R. Bevere said...

Good point, Bob, but it's better than nothing, particularly if you live in a place where the government monitors the Internet.

Robert Cornwall said...

I would add that at least in China there is seminary education available, though through the official church. I know that Fuller has a relationship with that seminary. I don't think it's nearly as dire a situation in China, though in Saudi Arabia it might be different.