The Gutenberg Bible, the Printing Press, and Paper vs. Digital Devices
Thanks to my husband, who our children refer to as “an early adopter,” I benefit daily from leading edge technology.
This dear man paid more for his first handheld calculator than a small flat-screen TV costs today. In college, we lived on brown rice and zucchini so that my giant scientist could purchase electronic devices.
I used to protest: other men give their wives jewelry.
Thanks to my husband, who our children refer to as “an early adopter,” I benefit daily from leading edge technology.
This dear man paid more for his first handheld calculator than a small flat-screen TV costs today. In college, we lived on brown rice and zucchini so that my giant scientist could purchase electronic devices.
I used to protest: other men give their wives jewelry.
Instead, long before Al Gore invented the Internet, I had access to state of the art computers.
This year for Mother’s Day, my husband gave me an iPad to replace the Kindle 2 he gave me two years ago. The Kindle failed to captivate this book-loving, latent Luddite, who undervalues the luxury of technology when it comes to the tactile experience of reading—a whiff of paper and ink as well as the liberty to count how many pages to the end of a chapter.
But now I can agree with Steve Jobs who said that the iPad is “magical.” Lightweight, portable and readable, slipping the iPad into my purse seems, well, reasonable if not fashionable.
Until recently, it never occurred to me to read the Bible devotionally on an electronic device. In seminary, I used computers and websites—including bible.org—as well as Bible software to do research, write papers and compare views on topics.
But the Bible, that sacred leather-bound volume which I have carried for decades and marked so that it bears testimony to my own journey of faith, can I now leave home without it?
Previously censorious of churches that referenced pew Bibles, I prided myself that I had no need of a page number to locate chapter and verse. Harumph. Ever heard of Sword Drills?
Of late though, I realized that using a pew Bible at church never precluded reading a personal Bible at home. Nor does using an electronic version of the Bible displace bound versions of the all-time bestselling book.
In days past, a family Bible weighing as much as an anchor often served as a tabletop centerpiece.
My aunt gave me such a Bible so old that it has no copyright. This massive volume, with its dilapidated cover, brittle pages and musty smell, reveals nary a pencil mark or fingerprint to indicate that someone actually read it. It has for decades remained a buried treasure.
Now a free Bible app for phones and pods and pads lets users locate Bible passages, change versions with a click, mark verses, copy and paste, email, and bookmark where reading stops. This just bowls me over.
And bible.org has already made available its NET Bible for portable devices. http://www.touchbible.org/net.php
The Gutenberg Bible sits on display in the New York City library; my daughter took a picture of it a few weeks ago. That’s when it hit me.
The Bible—the point is not the print. Or the device that delivers the words. Or even the preachers who declare its message.
The words of life have been given and preserved by God.
The real challenge remains not transmission but reception.
6 Comments
SonShine
Ipads and blogs of then and Ipads and blogs now
How timely….D got an ipad from one of the tech guys last night. Whoooo hooo what a neat gift…but even with that technology I, like you, love love love the smell and touch of “real paper” , ink and all that; especially in OLD books. Last week while at Goodwill rummaging through the books, where you often find old relics that have been cast off, I found a copy of a prayer book written by a man in 1680~! wow. And to my delight they only charged me $1.00…yep you read right. $1.00. As I researched it on the internet I found copies of this precious find from $25.00 all the way to $116.50. This was God’s gift …a true “ipad” of long ago. Thanks Carol for a great reminder and let’s all dig out those “ipads” of long ago and smell the ink and praise God for those men who labored over their “blogs” and now we have them to read, ponder and think about what they have written.
GEA
Carol Frugé
Terrific reminder
Love the thrill of rediscovering an old book. No way to keep up with all that is written, but I trust God puts some books in our hands at the precise time we will gain the most from our acquaintance with the author's thoughts.
While the younger generations may adapt to electronic devices as their familiar means of transmitting and receiving ideas, may we never forsake the words written on paper with ink.
Thank you, SonShine, for the thoughts you shared here.
Gwynne Johnson
Multiplying lovers
Although I too am a "bookaholic" and love the pages described, my husband's Christmas Kindle has turned a magazine/internet reader into a reader of "real" books, via Kindle. He loves the immediacy and variety…so if we book lovers want to mulitiply…let's cheer the advent of ereaders!
Carol Frugé
Sounds good to me.
Communication takes myriad forms, formats and effort. It's transitions that prove daunting for those who find themselves reading on the cusp:)
Thanks for adding your insights.
BobbyT31725
Sunday School discussion
It's funny, we were talking about this very subject a couple weeks ago in our sunday school class. I love how we are able to adapt to the new technology. Some people feel differently about this but I love it. The bible needs to be where the people are and if they are using iPads and Kindles, then it needs to be there too. We can't stay in the past.
Carol Frugé
The Bible on digital devices
Thanks for your input, Bobby. You are right about the Bible needing to be where the people can "reach" for it. Despite cultural changes and challenges, God's Word remains timeless, timely and essential to good spiritual health.