Holly Bird learns about this intriguing new product from Karen Sawrey, creator and author of The Infographic Bible.
If you’re wondering what on earth an infographic Bible could be; I’ll tell you. An infographic is ‘an illustration or diagram that conveys information’ (The Chambers Dictionary, 13th ed.), so simply put, The Infographic Bible is the Word of God conveyed in illustrations and diagrams. Author Karen created data for her Bible with the help of specific contributors and by seeking the expertise of theological academics. She then analysed and presented that data in a visual format, with written text being a secondary and minimal component simply to provide additional clarity.
The Infographic Bible is about visual storytelling; the goal being to tell the ‘big picture story’ of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. What is important to realise is that this is not just an illustrated Bible, nor does it cover every book of the Bible, but rather it
aims to point its readers towards the traditional Bible, and get them excited about it, as some people who read the Bible find it difficult to understand and a challenge to engage with.
Karen explained to me how big a project this has been, spanning over 5 years, including many 70+ hour weeks, and encompassing a team of 57 people with tasks ranging from advising, admin, data input and design. In addition there were people who volunteered to assist Karen with personal chores such as getting the shopping to allow her time to continue making progress on the Bible.
The academic and expert contributors to the Bible come from a range of backgrounds and offer a range of voices, meaning there is not one defi nitive theology represented here but a united effort to communicate God’s heart for relationship. Various organisations including 24-7 Prayer, Worship Central and the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics as well as individuals such as Nick Page and Professor James Crossley, are just a few of the many valued contributors to the project, without whom The Infographic Bible could not have succeeded. Each contributor’s theology is linked exclusively to their data, which will often differ from that of other contributors and sometimes with the author herself. Karen hopes this will ‘encourage readers not to fear different theologies but to grapple with them. The more we grapple with and meditate on the Bible the more we learn about God, his character and his ways – impacting how we interpret the Bible, and as a result how we see the world and others around us.’
The Infographic Bible offers new ways to interact with, analyse and meditate on God’s word, and is an invitation to everyone to explore it, regardless of where they are in their faith journey. Karen says, ‘I believe the Bible is one of the key places we encounter God and his heart for relationship with us – that brings nourishment and wholeness as we interact with it. The Infographic Bible is the result of me and my team interacting with God’s word.’
The Infographic Bible concentrates on the Bible’s big picture but also features individual topics which either span the New and Old Testaments or are particularly relevant to today’s audience, an example of this being ‘Wellbeing and Wholeness’. The overall theme is expressing God’s heart and plan for restored relationship with Him and is designed to be accessible for people who may not have read the Bible before. The nature of the infographic format makes it more accessible as all of the religious and archaic language has been stripped away, leaving an almost purely visual narrative.
Visual images have become a communicative language, particularly for millennials, with the frequent use of emojis, gifs, symbols etc. Research shows that the combination of visuals and text improves communication and learning by 89% and helps to increase the speed at which we can process and digest information. It is key to note that even Jesus taught in parables, creating mental images to help people understand the essence of his message and remember it well.
The new Bible also includes a foreword from well-respected vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton and Alpha pioneer Nicky Gumbel and has already received some high acclaim from David McCandless (author of Information is Beautiful ) who describes the project as ‘Awesome and ambitious... an elegant revisioning of the most read book in the world’. Author, Biblical scholar and Pauline theologian N.T. Wright also comments, ‘This is an exciting and innovative project which will open many people’s eyes to hitherto unsuspected dimensions of the biblical story’.