A new audio version of the New Testament dramatized by numerous
celebrities is being heralded as a “significant” contribution to modern
evangelizing and for sparking a renewed interest in the gripping
narrative of Scripture.
The audio series – which has the support
of a Vatican imprimatur – features over 70 actors such as John
Rhys-Davies, Neil McDonough, Julia Ormand and Kristen Bell.
The Truth
& Life Dramatized Audio Bible New Testament was released Nov. 1 of
last year and is comprised of 18 CDs, or 22 hours of audio.
New
York Times bestselling author and broadcast journalist for EWTN Raymond
Arroyo, who helped produce the audio Bible, explained that the actors
aren't simply “reading” the text but “sharing” the Gospel story by means
of oral tradition.
British actor John Rhys-Davies – perhaps
known best for his role as the dwarf Gimli in the blockbuster Lord of
the Rings trilogy – served as narrator of the series.
In a phone interview from his home in New Zealand, he praised the audio Bible for being “extremely well done.”
He
said that the release of the series comes at a pivotal time for
Christians in modern history, given the rise of extremist factions of
Islam and the growing influence of secularism.
Davies, a member of the
Church of England, said that the vibrancy of the Christian narrative
takes on new life in the series and will serve to renew interest among
the faithful as well as effect those outside Christianity.
“This
is a great project and really, very important,” he said, adding that
high caliber audio versions of Scripture are among “the most significant
contributions to evangelizing in the 21st century.”
Raymond
Arroyo explained that he and fellow producer Carl Amari felt strongly
that “the Catholic market needed a credible, artistically sound audio
Bible.”
He mentioned that before he started on the project a
couple years ago, he had listened to “a good number” of audio Bibles
which he said were ideal “to wreck your car to.”
“They're so boring,” he said, adding that “the Gospel shouldn't be that way.”
Arroyo went on to explain that the four Gospel books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John “were originally proclaimed orally.”
“It
was part of an oral tradition – it was a lively art,” he said. “I think
in the ensuing centuries we've sort of forgotten that. And the Bible
has consequently lost it's edge – lost it's vitality.”
Arroyo said
he was heavily involved in choosing a “lyrical and orthodox” Bible
translation for the series, which ended up being the Catholic Revised
Standard Version.
He also helped in the “scripting of the project
– it's not only the Scripture itself, it's all the audio cues, when do
you bring music in, etc.,” he said.
Arroyo was also involved in
the casting and said the series has “some of the great actors of stage,
screen and film” who were “all so excited about working on it and so
enthused about it.”
“It was important to have world-class talent
because this is a world-class text,” he added.
“It's worthy or this sort
of treatment so, no expense was spared and we spent literally a couple
of years in this project together to make sure everything was right.”
He
explained rather than there being a set at one location, recording was
done in actors' cities throughout the world such as New York, Paris or
Los Angeles.
“By and large, they recorded in isolation and then
it all comes together in post production with sound effects and music,
cross-fading and various techniques,” he said.
“It demands a certain
unity of understanding when you go into a project like this, as very
rarely is anyone in the same room.”
Arroyo called the finished
outcome of the audio Bible “complete and credible” yet having a
“dramatic dimension that we've never seen before.”
He noted that
the audio series, while intrinsically Catholic, is intended for
everybody.
“The Gospels are not confined to the Catholic Church, they're
for the whole world.”
For more information about the Truth and Life Audio Bible, visit: http://shop.truthandlifestore.com/index.aspx?dc=TL_CN_20111011