The Bible is formative for Christians. Some, like me, have grown attached to it over time, but for others it is a disorienting text – one which produces more questions than answers. But it’s Christianity’s sacred text.
So, how significant is the Bible in our lives – and in the lives of British 20-somethings?
Here is a truism: the physical form of an object impacts the subject matter that it contains – and the Bible is no different. A black leather cover with gold lettering purposefully communicates a sense of gravity.
It has a front and a back indicating there are boundaries. Some texts are in. Others are out. A linear contents page guides the reader to imagine a beginning, middle and end, but the two-column layout of the text suggests that this book should be used like a dictionary rather than read like a novel. All of this impacts our view of what the Bible is and how we read it.
Of course the leather Bible with the gold lettering is not as common as it once was. Nowadays the Bible is an App, and if the physical form of an object impacts the subject matter that it contains, what are the long-term implications of reading the Bible off our phones?
Millennials are the first generation to transition from paper to digital, and we would love to hear your views on and experiences of the Bible.
So we have a favour to ask: CODEC and Bible Society have just launched the Bible and Digital Millennials research project, which explores the significance of the Bible in the lives of British 20-somethings. In other words in your life. Our research will take a snapshot of how the Bible is being engaged by your generation.
You can take the survey here. We’d be so grateful if as many people as possible were able to complete it. (And as a thank-you, some Amazon vouchers are up for grabs…)