Sierra Reads Things

I had my eye on The Voice translation of the bible for awhile now, but never had the chance to pick it up. Luckily, Thomas Nelson had it on their BookSneeze.com program and I got to read it for free. The cover of the book claims, that this translation is beautiful, sensitive, and balanced as well as promises that this translation will give the reader three things:
1. Insight through devotional commentary.
2. Clarity with the fresh, new screenplay format.
3. Enjoyment of the Scriptures with the newest translation.

I think the best way to review this is to see if it fulfills its promises.

Insight:
The commentary is nice in places. Sometimes I think it's a bit forced. I would like to know which contributing writer wrote which devotion (There are ten writers, notably Brian McLaren, Matthew Paul Turner, and Lauren Winner), but that's not a big deal. I can tell there's a difference in voice in each devotion, which is probably just the English major in me coming out. Overall, I like the little snippets. I wish they'd go more in depth, though. I'm the kind of person who enjoys reading the introductions by the translators in bibles. Most people aren't. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Clarity/Format:
Okay. I hate the format. It's nice at times where things might get muddled as to who is saying what in regular translations, but it seems kind of basic and elementary to me. There are also a lot of italicized additions to what the scriptures actually say. An example of all of this is in Matthew 14:31:

Jesus: O you of little faith. Why did you doubt and dance back and forth between following Me and heeding fear?

I don't know how comfortable I am with adding things to scripture. 2 of 5.

Enjoyment:
I was more drawn to the commentary than the actual scripture. I think that's a problem, especially with today's bibles that are supposed to be like magazines. I never end up wanting to read the important stuff, just the quizzes to see if my omgbf is a godly man or not. 3 of 5.

Overall: 3.5 of 5. It's good, it's better than The Message, but it's no substitute for a real translation.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I feel like the people who have been reviewing this book on different sites aren't from the target audience. I'm about to turn 25 and this book made me roll my eyes way more than any other devotional I have ever read. At one point, she makes the argument that being angry is a sin. Jesus got angry. Is she saying he sinned? Scripture also says "In your anger, do not sin," which is saying that it is possible to be angry without sinning. There are also a lot of hokey devotions about how you shouldn't ever be negative and being positive positive positive is the only way for a Christian.

Maybe I'm just jaded with Christianity, especially Christian literature, and especially Christian literature that is supposed to be geared towards my generation. I'm sure this would speak to someone who has been within the white, middle-class Evangelical bubble their whole lives, but for people like me who strive to be intellectuals and free thinkers while still being Christian, it isn't worth the money.

Oh, one thing I really liked: This book has the softest cover of any book I have ever touched.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."