A leading Bible scholar in Britain asserts that digital editions of the Bible will enable readers to mix and match texts to create their own personal scriptures. From the Telegraph:
In future people will be able to create their own version of the Bible as multiple interpretations appear online, allowing a different view of the sacred text, according to the country’s leading Biblical scholar.
David Parker, Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham, said different translations and readings of the Bible, from the 4th Century until now are already available online.
He predicted people will download the versions they like best, perhaps even mixing and matching different readings of the Gospels to suit their tastes and even making annotations.
Read more here. Hmm. Kind of seems to me that mixing and matching scripture passages to suit one’s personal outlook is a centuries-old Christian tradition. How much of this can we attribute to the new realities of the information age and, if we accept the professor’s premise, how could this change the way we interpret the Bible?