Its the greatest story ever told, now illustrated with Manga art.
Pick up this Bible with all-new art by some of the best Manga artists in Japan and see the Bible in a new way. Includes the full Bible text interspersed with 96 pages of Manga that bring out the intense drama of great Bible stories. Features the entire text of the New Living Translation Bible, words of Christ in red, and special Manga presentation pages....
Manga is more than a passing fad or craze, and its more than just an art style: its a way to tell stories. All kinds of stories. And its everywhere. Manga is a worldwide youth culture phenomenon.
The Manga Bible is something unique. Some of the best Manga artists in Japan have traced major events in the Bibles story. Experience Creation, the plagues in Egypt, David and Goliath, and the life of Christ--plus a whole lot more--in a whole new way.
Not only does the Manga Bible include Manga versions of great Bible stories, it also includes the entire Bible text, which means you can experience the story behind the story.
The Bible as Graphic Novel, With a Samurai Stranger Called Christ, By NEELA BANERJEE
Published: February 10, 2008
Random HouseA page from the Manga Bible by Ajinbayo Akinsiku. For the unchurched, the book is to show that this thing, the Bible, is still relevant, Mr. Akinsiku said.
Mr. Akinsiku said the exposition gave readers a quick understanding of the Bible....
Ajinbayo Akinsiku wants the world to know Jesus Christ, just not the gentle, blue-eyed Christ of old Hollywood movies and illustrated Bibles....
His next project is a manga life of Christ. He has 300 pages to lay it out, which means there will be a lot more action, a lot less talking...
The goal of the Bibles is not just to win people to Christ, but to particular ways of thinking, said Jason BeDuhn, associate professor of religious studies at Northern Arizona University. Mr. Akinsiku said the biblical message he wanted to underscore was justice, especially for the poor....
Mr. Akinsiku says his Son of God is a samurai stranger whos come to town, in silhouette, here to shake things up in a new, much-abridged version of the Bible rooted in manga, the Japanese form of graphic novels.
We present things in a very brazen way, said Mr. Akinsiku, who hopes to become an Anglican priest and who is the author of The Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation. Christ is a hard guy, seeking revolution and revolt, a tough guy.
...Timothy Beal, professor of religion at Case Western Reserve University, said of the reworking of the Bible:... It opens up new ways of understanding Scripture and ends up breaking the idols a bit.
While known for characters with big eyes and catwalk poses, manga is also defined by a laconic, cinematic style, with characters often doing more than talking.
In a blurb for the Manga Bible, which is published by Doubleday, the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, is quoted as saying, It will convey the shock and freshness of the Bible in a unique way.
No doubt. In the Manga Bible, whose heroes look and sound like skateboarders in Bedouin gear, Noah gets tripped up counting the animals in the Ark: Thats 11,344 animals? Arggh! Ive lost count again. Im going to have to start from scratch!
Abraham rides a horse out of an explosion to save Lot. Og, king of Bashan, looms like an early Darth Vader. The Sermon on the Mount did not make the book, though, because there was not enough action to it.
The Manga Bible sold 30,000 copies in Great Britain, according to Doubleday. The print run in this country is 15,000, and it sells for $12.95.
Mr. Akinsiku, 42, who uses the pen name Siku, grew up in England and Nigeria in an Anglican family of Nigerian descent. He recently graduated from theology school in London. For years, he has worked as an artist, and a rendering of the Bible was the best way of glorifying God, he said in a telephone interview from London.
While younger adults and teenagers are the most avid consumers of manga, Mr. Akinsiku said he had heard from grandmothers who picked up the book as a gift for their grandchildren. The book is meant to be a first taste of the Bible, which many feel too intimidated to read, Mr. Akinsiku said. Every few pages, a small tab refers to the biblical verses the action covers.
For the unchurched, the book is to show that this thing, the Bible, is still relevant, he said, because it talks about what human beings do when they encounter God.
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
The creation of the earth
The rise and fall of Gods chosen people
The mysterious stranger who brought about a new world order
And the ultimate showdown between the forces of good and evil
This is the greatest story ever told . . . as youve never seen it before.
Containing both Old and New Testaments, this is the first ever English manga of the most important book of all time.
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 1104 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (October 29, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414316798
ISBN-13: 978-1414316796
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
This is what the original looked like:
"I have a mustard- seed; and I am not afraid to use it."
[Ratzinger:"Salt of the Earth"]
May Our Papa's radiant-light continuously shine forth to illuminate Christ for the world!
[Ratzinger:"Salt of the Earth"]
May Our Papa's radiant-light continuously shine forth to illuminate Christ for the world!
