Sunday, June 13, 2010

Indian church to bring out Indianised form of Bible

An Indianised form of the Bible will show Mother Mary wearing a sari and a ‘bindi’ on her forehead and her husband Joseph in a loincloth and a turban.
The Indian Church will bring out this form of Bible next month.
“This is a Bible made in India, by Indians and for Indians,” said Fr George Chathanattil of the Society of St Paul, which is in charge of publishing the Bible written in English.
The illustrated Bible will also be annotated with the commentary that runs side by side with the original biblical text making references to Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi and quoting from Hindu texts and Rabindranath Tagore.
The commentary repeatedly refers to Hindu concepts to convey biblical teachings.
It contains verses from the Ramayan and the Mahabharat, The Telegraph reported.
“Our attempt is to make people feel at home with the Bible. When one hears one’s own cultural expressions, it is easier for the Indian Christian community to understand the Bible,” Fr George said.
The new Bible will have 27 themed pictures that are quintessentially Indian, such as a family living in a slum in the shadow of a skyscraper, with a portrait of Mother Teresa in the background.
The Society plans to print 50,000 copies to be distributed among all the states.

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