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'The publication of the RSV in 1953 opened the floodgates for competing translations.'
What is meant by "Hopefully you will be a Faithful Traitor?"
This video (# 8342) may be purchased from ECUFILM. They can be reached at 800-251-4091 or at http://www.ecufilm.org/.
National Council of Churches News release, 10/15/99
"The Bible Under Fire" looks at the RSV Bible and the many translations that followed against the backdrop of American history, both secular and religious. It is a story of "firsts." It was the first widely popular new translation of the Bible since the 1611 King James Version. It was the first Bible to incorporate the discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was the first distinctly American Bible to be a success-and the first to be successfully promoted by an advertising agency.
The RSV Bible also drew controversy-it was called the "Red Bible" by those who thought it was communist-inspired, and burned by pastors who thought it was heretical. It was also a best-seller, breaking national sales records. It was the inaugural project of the newly-formed National Council of Churches (NCC), the ecumenical organization comprised of a wide membership of Protestant and Orthodox denominations. This year (1999) marks the 50th anniversary of the NCC.
The goal of the RSV translators was to create a "standard" Bible for modern times that would unify Christians, would be easier to read, and would be more faithful to the original texts. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 led to the most controversial passage in the RSV -- the translation of "a young woman" (true to the Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls) in Isaiah 7:14, replacing the King James Version language of "a virgin." Many in the evangelical Christian community continue to interpret that change as a denial of the divinity of Christ.
The publication of the RSV opened the floodgates for competing translations. American culture has demanded that issues of gender, race and language be addressed. New Bible translations reflecting the whole spectrum of religious, political and social perspectives in American society continue to be published.
Both the RSV and the NRSV translations have been made possible through the NCC's Bible Translation and Utilization Committee, which also assisted in this production.
"The Bible Under Fire" is produced by Odyssey Productions for the National Council of Churches, in cooperation with the National Interfaith Cable Coalition. It is produced by Linda Hanick. Executive Producer for the National Council of Churches is Dave Pomeroy. Through the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission's "Horizons of the Spirit" series this program will also be made available to NBC stations in the spring of 2000.
National Council of Churches News release, 10/15/99