Book Review: NIV Audio Bible, Dramatized, on CD-ROM

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NIV Audio Bible, Dramatized, on CD-ROM Narrated by Stephen Johnston Publisher: World Bible Publishing First Released: 1995

Source: My personal library. I think I originally bought it from Christianbook.com. I can't find it there now, but it's this version.

Description:
It's the complete New International Version of the Bible read word for word but with various voices for different the parts and with music or sound effects in the background.


Review:
As a child, I had a huge set of records--a children's dramatized version of the life of Christ. I spent hours on end listening to those records while I played. As a teenager, I spent less time with them so my mother gave the records away to a friend who had young children.

After college, I wanted to buy and listen to those records again, but I was never able to find them. (Not to mention that I didn't have a record player.) So I bought this dramatized version of the NIV Bible. While I use a print Bible for study purposes, I enjoy listening to chapters--even whole books--of the Bible while I do housework.

The audio follows the NIV version of the Bible word-for-word, but it's done in a away that makes it interesting even for a child. The narrative portions have multiple voice actors playing the various parts as well as sound effects (wave sounds when near the water and so on). The Psalms and other non-narrative parts have non-intrusive music in the background, and the narrators (mainly Stephen Johnston) read it in a way that maintains my focus (i.e. not monotone).

There are a few places where a section has clearly been redone after the main read and doesn't quite match the volume and tone of the rest, but this doesn't bother me. Also, these CD-ROMs came in a case that started to ruin the CD-ROM's surface after several years. I was able to clean them up once I noticed what was happening, but I'd recommend putting them in a different case if you buy this exact set.

If you have a lot of time driving in the car or doing housework, I'd recommend getting a dramatized version of the Bible to listen to. It's a fun way to listen to the Bible and gives a different perspective that I've found lends new insights that I don't get when reading a print Bible.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.