The Word on the Street (book)
The Word on the Street, originally published as The Street Bible and stylized as the word on the street, is a Bible-based book by Rob Lacey that paraphrases key Bible stories using modern language.[1][2]
Synopsis[edit]
The book tells major stories of the Bible, paraphrasing the text in a distinctive, urban style inspired by Lacey's performances. Major biblical stories are recast as mini-blockbusters; individual psalms are rewritten as song lyrics; the Pauline epistles become emails to the fledgling "Jesus Liberation Movement" (aka the church).
Publication[edit]
HarperCollins first published The Word on the Street in the United Kingdom in 2003 as The Street Bible.[3] It was one of the bestselling religious books for the next two years, ultimately winning the Christian Booksellers Convention's Book of the Year award in 2004.[citation needed] The book was republished in 2004 in the United States as the word on the street through Zondervan in both print and ebook formats.[4] This release was part of a larger effort by the publisher to reach younger audiences.[5]
At the same time the book was launched, Lacey partnered with musicians Bill Taylor-Beales and Rachel Taylor-Beales to produce an audio CD of his 75-minute performance of the Bible. The CD was nominated for an Audie Award by the Audio Publishers Association in 2004.[6]
Development[edit]
Lacey chose to write the book partially based on his own recollections of being told Bible stories when he was younger and how they felt "stale" to him.[7] After the book was greenlit for publication, Lacey was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He continued to work on the book and has stated that "Working on this really kept me sane" and that "Because the Bible deals with the big issues--like life and death. And it really hit home."[8]
Analysis of the text[edit]
The author and Christian reviewers have described the book as the Bible as performance art.[citation needed] In the words of the author, "No way is this the Proper Bible. It’s a trailer for, an intro to, an overview of The Bible (capital 'B'). For those who’ve never read it, And those who’ve read it so much it’s gone stale on them".[1]
The following shows a comparison between the KJV and the word on the street:
| Translation | Genesis 1:1-3 |
|---|---|
| King James Version | In the beginning God created the heaven and earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. |
| the word on the street | First off, nothing. No light, no time, no substance, no matter. Second off, God starts it all up and WHAP! Stuff everywhere! The cosmos in chaos: no shape, no form, no function– just darkness ... total. And floating above it all, God’s Holy Spirit, ready to play. Day one: Then God’s voice booms out, ‘Lights!’ and, from nowhere, light floods the skies and ‘night’ is swept off the scene. |
Performances[edit]
Lacey performed parts of The Word on the Street at events such as Hallelujah Palooza. His rendition of "The Good Samaritan" was met with a mixed reaction.[9]
Reception[edit]
Richard N Ostling noted that the slang would not be to everyone's tastes and that Lacey included some interesting concepts, citing the rewrite of Genesis 1:1-3.[10]
References[edit]
- ↑ Otherways - Page 56 Andrew Perriman - 2007 "Rob Lacey's much acclaimed hip, edgy Street Bible is a recent example: Day three: God says, “Too much water! We need something to walk on, a huge lump of it – call it 'land'. Let the 'sea' lick its edges.”
- ↑ Lewis, Brian (May 8, 2004). "Writer gets 'Word on Street' with Bible paraphrase". The Tennessean.
- ↑ Lacey, Rob (2002). The street bible. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-710790-0. OCLC 59430720. Search this book on
- ↑ Lacey, Rob (2004). The Word on the street. ISBN 978-0-310-92267-4. OCLC 961576424. Search this book on
- ↑ Arndorfer, James B (2004-12-13). "Is nothing sacred? Bible gets series of makeovers". Adage. Retrieved 2021-06-22. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "2005 Audie Awards® - APA (en-US)". www.audiopub.org. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
- ↑ Copley, Rich (August 7, 2004). "Rewriting the Bible was never so Hip". Lexington-Herald Leader.
- ↑ Soukup, Elise (September 20, 2004). "Bibles: Spreading 'The Word'". Newsweek.
- ↑ Beaujon, Andrew (2004-07-07). "Hallelujah Palooza". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
- ↑ Ostling, Richard N (December 17, 2011). "Evangelicals match liberals' slang-stuffed Bible". Wasau Daily Herald.
External links[edit]
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