{"id":11093,"date":"2014-12-08T16:30:51","date_gmt":"2014-12-08T21:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=11093"},"modified":"2014-12-08T16:30:51","modified_gmt":"2014-12-08T21:30:51","slug":"bible-verses-by-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=11093","title":{"rendered":"Bible Verses By Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"

I received word about an iTunes app that I thought some of you might be interested in.<\/em><\/p>\n

Penguin, creators of the popular \u201cPoems by Heart\u201d app, launches \u201cBible Verses by Heart\u201d<\/p>\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Bible is the most important book for millions of Christians around the world, but it\u2019s also a classic work of literature. Now, Penguin Random House is proud to launch \u201cBible Verses by Heart\u201d, an app that will appeal not only to the faithful, but to those who view the Bible as literature and want to better understand the extent to which the \u201cGood Book\u201d permeates our culture and values.<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ Inspired by the successful\u201d Poems by Heart from Penguin Classics\u201d app\u2014which has more than 30,000 active users a month, has been downloaded over 412,000 times, and is one of only six educational apps recognized as an \u201cApp Store Best of 2013\u201d\u2014\u201cBible Verses By Heart\u201d is a beautiful, intuitive app designed to help readers memorize key passages from the Bible. Joel Fotinos, a licensed minister and the publisher of Tarcher Books, a Penguin Random House imprint, was hugely influential in determining the app\u2019s 20 passages, which were gathered from the Old Testament, the New Testament, as well as Psalms and Proverbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted \u2018Bible Verses by Heart\u2019 to appeal not only to people who love the Bible and want to memorize key scriptures, but also to casual readers interested in knowing more about it\u2014i.e., those who see the Bible referenced in literature, the news, and in popular culture, and would like a better understanding of the Bible\u2019s verses, selections, and stories,\u201d said Fotinos. \u201cWe narrowed down the selections to what I jokingly call \u201cThe Bible\u2019s Greatest Hits\u201d \u2013 meaning those passages that would have the greatest recognition and that fit within the guidelines we had set.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fotinos then ran the passages by a tough set of critics\u2014a pair of nuns from a well-known Christian monastic community. The result: a collection that draws from five different translations and encompasses everything from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and Genesis 1:1-2:3 to Psalm 40:1-17 (A Prayer for Help) and Judges 5:1-31 (Song of Deborah).<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ \u201cSince these are poetic selections, we weren\u2019t trying to create a \u2018Cliff\u2019s Notes\u2019 version. Nor did we want to choose only inspiring verses,\u201d said Fotinos. \u201cRather, we picked selections that would add to a person\u2019s Bible literacy. When someone memorizes these passages, they gain a greater appreciation of how pervasive these verses are in our culture. Eventually we hope to record and include more selections from the Bible to keep this project expanding and evolving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBible Verses by Heart\u201d is free to download, and comes with three free passages, with 21 more available for in-app purchase. As users progress through five stages of difficulty, they are rewarded with high scores and Game Center Achievements. They also have the ability to record and share their own recitals via email and SoundCloud. The app was designed and developed by inkle, who also designed \u201cPoems by Heart from Penguin Classics\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bible Verses by Heart\u201d app is available for download for iPhone or iPad via iTunes. Click to read more about the \u201cBible Verses by Heart\u201d app on iTunes: https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/bible-verses-by-heart\/id925083573?mt=8<\/a><\/p>\n

Now because I\u2019m like this, and I know a bunch of you would be curious too, I checked with the public relations person for this project to find out exactly which Bibles these verses were coming from. As many of us know, that can make a real difference. It turns out it\u2019s pretty diverse. \u201cBible Verses by Heart\u201d uses passages from the King James Version, New King James Version, New American Standard, New Revised Standard Version, and the Contemporary English Version.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"