BIBLE BINDINGS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 32, 9 February 1929, Page 20

BIBLE BINDINGS

A BISHOP'S PLEA

A plea'for brighter Bibles is made by the Bishop Of Southwark (England) in a pastoral letter.

"Why are Bibles so often not only printed poorly, but bound in mournful black?" asked the bishop. "Why is it necessary that almost always' black should be regarded as suitable for a volume which contains good tidings?" The answer to'the bishop comes from

Dr. J. H. Bitson, 1 chief secretary to the British and Foreign Bible Society, which sells 30,000 Bibles a day, in COO languages. "There is no demand in the world to-day for bright-coloured Bibles,'.': he said.to 1 a-."Daily. Chronicle" representative, "except in certain, parts of South America. We havo •tried, them on'all sorts of people. Wo thought;they would bo effective upon the negroes of Africa. Wo were wrong. Some Testaments in bright .red colours go to Central and South America, and th.c four Gospels in Spanish, sold at a. halfpenny each, are printed in yellow, blue, green, and red. "The late Mr. Deii't issued the Biblo in ordinary book form in five volumes. I asked Mm,what sort of. a sale it hail. He said, 'It is entirely a mistake.. We wero very disappointed in the sale.' There are reasons, against 'brightening' Bibles, with imaginary pictures. Any.representation of the Deity is resented in Mohammedan countries."