Philly To Be 2009 National Bible City
By John P. Connolly, The Bulletin Friday, December 12, 2008
Philadelphia has been chosen as the National Bible City of 2009, heralding plans for Bible-themed events around the city culminating in the National Bible Week.
The National Bible Association (NBA) annually chooses a city as the focus of its efforts to encourage people to read the Bible. The NBA encourages people to read the Bible, emphasizing its literary value. “The purpose of the NBA is to get people to read the Bible,” said Ralf Augstroze, the executive director at the Providence Forum, an organizing organization for Philadelphia’s Bible City program participation. “It has primarily been a layperson’s organization. The NBA has never had a pastor or member of the clergy as its president, chairman, or any board member. It has by and large been community leaders, business people, and corporate executives.”
Last year’s National Bible City was Johnson City, Tenn., and Baltimore, Maryland, will be the 2010 Bible City. Philadelphia was chosen for its history of religious freedom and the influence of the Bible on the culture of the city. Organizers say that Philadelphia was a logical choice, considering the ability for common ground and cultural understanding that can be gained from the event. “Philadelphia is historically known for its religious pluralism, reflecting the extraordinary commitment of our proprietary founder, William Penn, to religious liberty,” said Peter Lillback, president of the Westminster Theological Seminary. “As a result, we enjoy a lot of freedom religiously, but also a lot of distinctiveness because of our different faith traditions. Rarely does there come an opportunity where all these different traditions can stand together with a common voice and speak as a united city. This is one of those times. The reason is very simple: the Bible City Project of the NBA has one message, ‘read the Bible.’ And all our faith traditions can agree on that. Even those that are hostile to faith, such as atheists, recognize that you can’t be an educated person and understand Western civilization, whether it be Shakespeare or Handel’s Messiah, without knowing something of the great Biblical message that so influenced out culture.”
The potential for unity was saluted in a letter of support from Sen. Arlen Specter, who highlighted that quality in his praise of the program. “National Bible Week will bring together clergy, civic, social, and other religious leaders from the Tri-state area to collaborate and share ideas,” read Mr. Specter’s letter. “[It will,] in addition, foster and create new alliance which will serve the citizenry in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in their respective communities.”
Many programs are in the works for the city, including lectures, award ceremonies, dinners, television programs and city tours based on biblical influence. “It is fitting that national bible week be celebrated the week of Thanksgiving, in that it reminds us of the adversity that our ancestors struggled against in obtaining the right to practice religion freely and read Scripture without consequence,” said Gov. Ed Rendell in his proclamation on National Bible Week in 2008. “Written thousands of years ago, the message of the Bible has transcended time, cultural adversity, and remains relevant in today’s changing world.”
The first English bible ever printed in the new world was printed in Philadelphia in 1782 at the order of Congress. Until that time, printing the Bible in English had been a right only reserved to the King of England. Also, Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell bears a Bible verse from Leviticus 25:10, which says to “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land.” The 2009 National Bible Week will last from Nov. 22 to 28, 2009.
John P. Connolly can be reached at jconnolly@thebulletin.us