On April 23rd, American Bible Society released the new Faith and Liberty Bible. This unique study Bible frames American history, heroes, and values in the truth of God’s Word. It invites curious readers to delve deeper into the biblical truths built into our nation’s foundation and the hope that can guide our future.
Adding to a Rich Legacy of Publishing
As a ministry dedicated to spreading God’s Word around the world, American Bible Society has always been a publisher of Bibles.
Six months after our founding in 1816, American Bible Society printed our first Scripture for distribution: an English Bible in the King James Version (KJV). This version has influenced the English language for more than 400 years, rivaled only by the works of Shakespeare in terms of linguistic and cultural significance. American Bible Society used cutting-edge stereotype plates during the printing process, producing 10,000 copies of the Bible to distribute to families across the young nation.
In the 1960s, American Bible Society recognized a growing need for the Bible in contemporary English. We published the New Testament in Today’s English Version, which was intended for daily use by modern English speakers. Soon, United Bible Societies—our global network of Bible Society partners—recognized the impact of this translation in ministry efforts around the world and requested a translation of the Old Testament. A team of American translators worked with a British consultant to finish the full translation of the Good News Bible in 1976. This translation of the Old and New Testament, called the Good News Translation (GNT), is still in use today.
By using innovative publishing technology and responding to the cultural needs of our time, American Bible Society has remained at the forefront of Bible publication for more than two centuries. Today, we publish several English Bibles, including licensed Bibles, the King James Version (KJV), the Good News Translation (GNT), and the Contemporary English Version (CEV). Our publishing legacy has helped us distribute 6.9 billion Bibles around the world as well as publish study Bibles like the Faith and Liberty Bible for new generations navigating a changing cultural landscape.
Meeting the Need in America Today
The Faith and Liberty Bible was produced by American Bible Society’s Faith and Liberty Initiative. This nationwide advocacy strategy points Americans toward the Bible as a relevant resource for the challenges facing the United States today. In addition, the Initiative helps people explore the Bible’s integral role in American history through educational resources like the new Faith and Liberty Discovery Center in historic Philadelphia, which will open to the public on May 1st, 2021.
In response to recent years of political polarization and cultural division, the Faith and Liberty Bible presents an opportunity to discover the values that bind our nation together. It uses the Good News Translation, which is still accessible for a modern audience, and also features the King James Version, which is quoted in the historical articles featured throughout the Bible. This provides readers with two translations for study, reflection, and appreciation as they experience God’s Word through both historical and contemporary contexts.
As a study Bible, the Faith and Liberty Bible includes thematic content alongside the biblical text, offering further reading on biblical values and American history. In total, there are more than 810 articles and quotations from people throughout American history, from Colonial times to the present day. These Americans—including William Penn, John Quincy Adams, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—drew from the Bible in their work, writings, and personal lives. Dozens of Americans are featured from a variety of backgrounds, affiliations, and confessions, celebrating the freedom and diversity of thought we enjoy as Americans. Each article is connected to Scripture and organized by six biblical values of faith, liberty, justice, unity, hope, and love—values that are increasingly lacking in our culture, political system, and even our churches. Ten study tracks guide exploration of topics like Liberty, Education and Virtue, and Slavery and Abolition throughout the Scriptures.
The Faith and Liberty Bible serves as a comprehensive point of reference for Americans who want to understand how a history built on God’s Word influences our lives today. In its pages, readers will encounter the inspired truths of Scripture that point them to salvation through Jesus Christ as the only source of hope. They will also be guided by examples from American history that challenge them to consider their own role in shaping America’s future.
Lighting the Way to Tomorrow
The Bible has always been God’s light for the world. Now, it’s shining as a beacon for Americans searching for hope in troubled times.
The Faith and Liberty Bible presents God’s Word as the light for our nation’s future, supplemented with the example of American heroes who followed the path of Scripture throughout our history. It offers a bold invitation to a new generation of American changemakers to champion the Word of God across our nation.
To purchase your own copy of the Faith and Liberty Bible, or to buy one for a friend, go to: Bibles.com or Amazon.com.
