Suitable Bible recommendations for a 12-year-old exploring Christianity

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My autistic DD (12) has expressed a desire to explore Christianity. We are not a religious family and she only has minimal exposure through school, but I am really keen to to support her.

She is really keen to read the bible, but I am not sure where would be a good place for her to start. We have looked in a book store, but they only had childrens first bibles or ones that I was concerned she would not be able to access.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a suitable bible that we could get her?

Thanks!

Something like the Good News bible which is in quite modern language?
Then start with one of the gospels e.g. Luke?

Could you get to a book shop that has knowledgeable staff and where she could have a look at the books herself? I don’t know where you live but there are a few Pauline bookshops in England. I’ve been in the one in Liverpool to buy Christian gifts for others, when I haven’t really known what was suitable, and found the staff really helpful.

Youth For Christ: Good News Bible, The Youth Edition? https://yfc.co.uk/gnb/

Good idea. I’ve got a small paperback from the Good Book Company that is just Luke (so the story of Jesus). Nice and small and light to carry around and not as intimidating as picking up a big Bible and wondering where to start.

I studied religion -the Gospels at GCSE. I am also diagnosed with autism. I still have a Bible from my teens and it was the NIV version. They also do a youth version.
With some youth Bible's look at the discussion topics I suggest as they cover topics like relationships and drugs which which you will know if it is safe for your child.
There is also an NIrV version which is aimed more at people with an intellectual disability and autism on its own isn't one. You though may find this appropriate for your child.
https://www.youthworks.net/articles/accessibility-bible

Hi there OP,

Try Eden. They have Bibles based on age:

https://www.eden.co.uk/11-to-13-years-old/11-to-13-bibles/

You could have a look at the youversion app too. It has pretty much all the English language translations of the Bible on there and there are short courses on the different books of the bible and different topics.
I would also look at the bible project website (on YouTube too). They have some great animated short films about each book of the bible and a wealth of other Bible related videos.

Just get her whatever version of the bible you can find.

Reading it properly is the best way to turn her into an atheist.

Yes indeed.

I have been following this thread, and to me it feels as if there is something dishonest about using Bibles with "softer language" that are specifically aimed at kids. Sort of like " lets hook them on the easy stuff and hide the nasty bits". And no, I am not accusing posters of being dishonest, it is the concept of "easy to read" I am talking about.

I us a PC program called "E-Sword" for my Bible stuff. Lot's of translations and versions, including Hebrew and Greek, and interlinears that allow each word to be translated. Most of it is free. It's handy for seeing what words have been changed. That is softened.

When it comes to changing the Bible, the third last of the book comes to mind,

Rev 22:19 and if anyone may take away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the Scroll of Life, and out of the holy city, and the things that have been written in this scroll." (LSV)

Sure, in context that only applies to Revelation. I took the above from the Litteral standard version. Here is the American Standard Version of the same line:

Rev 22:18 I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: (ASV)

Different. Ironically.

Ironic that you're talking about dishonesty but you've quoted Verse 18 from one translation and Verse 19 from another and claimed it's the same.....

But it's not dishonest to have alternative translations of the Bible. It's not about using "softer" language but about simpler language. The Bible is a complex and ancient text that is central to the Christian faith. It was written in an ancient language that has no easy translation into English.

Interpreting that ancient text and choosing clear and simple language is not conning people. It's making it accessible.

Giving someone a Message Bible and claiming it's exactly the same as, say, an NIV is dishonest. Choosing an International Children's Bible translation over a KJV is not.

I'd suggest a Bible that has notes and cross-references - also a Catholic bible so it isn't missing the bits that 16th C men decided to leave out - New Community Bible is good.

There is nothing wrong with beginning with a simple introductory book or Youtube guide, but having the actual text will help her see where extracts and examples fit in the overall books of the Bible.

At 12, she'd be better off with the New Testament, starting with Luke and Acts, the some of the epistles, and John, and moving out and back from there, guided by those cross references.

And then - the Psalms, Isaiah for the poetry, Genesis and Exodus for stories, Amos for the social justice, Jonah for gentle mockery of pious pomposity, Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus for an understanding of the intellectual background of the world Jesus was born into. All her life to explore it.

Really good suggestions above. I'll add the Diary of a Disciple - The Gospel of Luke as another option. Its a kid friendly retelling of Luke's Gospel. So it's not the Bible but an accessible start on the story of Jesus. Might be less daunting than the whole Bible

https://www.eden.co.uk/diary-of-a-disciple-lukes-story/?site_id=230789&matchtype=&creative=&network=x&keyword=&device=m&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23665499479&gbraid=0AAAAAD_MZYCU8g3RjbKHp2dclibSQ2nXS&gclid=CjwKCAjw9NjRBhATEiwA_p2J8ZMc2vcPVA5A_l7JlWI--E09L1uEJ_ZAITLbL_rpEeNRNpyM2LIptBoCniIQAvD_BwE

Ahh sorry. Genuine mistake that I clipped the wrong verse, I will try again:

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: (NKJV)

Rev 22:18 For I testify to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this scroll, if anyone may add to these, God will add to him the plagues that have been written in this scroll,(LSV)

Rev 22:18 I, John, solemnly warn everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: if any add anything to them, God will add to their punishment the plagues described in this book. (GNB)

Rev 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy in this book: If anyone adds anything to this, God will strike him with the plagues that are written in this book. (GW)

All different. Now multiply that through the approx 750k words of each version of the Bible.

The bible is quite inaccessible however you translate it. It has genocide, gang rape, torture and execution, Jesus comes across as quite grumpy in my opinion. However if you find a good book about Christianity somehow they can make it make more sense. Some people open the bible and feel it speaks to them and they become Christians. Not sure how personally and I have tried. But somehow extracts can be used every week and discussed and interpreted in churches with great meaning and value.

Yes, get one of the recommended translations with straightforward language as recommended above. Let your DD see the source material for herself and who knows how she will get on with it. But also, assuming she is a reader, get some other books to go alongside. I am a woolly liberal and for lent this year I read ’Meeting Jesus again for the First Time’ by Marcus J Bourg. I really think it is the closest I have come to understanding why people feel so drawn to the historical person of Jesus. Also ‘The Universal Christ’ by Richard Rohr for an understanding of the risen Christ/eternal Christ/John chapter 1. Not sure every Christian would go along with these books but they made a lot of sense to me.

I think she should start at the beginning, with the Old Testament, just reading the already familiar stories from the New Testament feels like deliberately steering her away from the bonkersness / drama / truth (circle your choice) of the Old Testament.

Something accessible to read now, with a complete Bible alongside to cross compare as and when she wants sounds a good way to go.

But where is 'the beginning'?

If she is coming in from a Christian perspective, the New Testament is that. And a lot of it isn't all that familiar.

It’s the first page of the Old Testament. Christians believe in both.

You see, I come to the opposite conclusion from this example. Several different translations there but the meaning is consistent right? If you add in extra words to the book of Revelation then God will send you all the plagues that are in the book of Revelation.

The fact that we can hold the translations side by side means we can scrutinise the differences for ourselves. We can also look at original language versions and search each word for more insight and meaning.

Translation from ancient languages is nuanced, especially as contemporary English is also constantly changing in subtle ways. But no writing has been as carefully studied and translated or has all the material accessible for any person to look at like the Bible.

We gave a lot of reasons to be confident in English translations of the Bible

So you'd skip over the earlier (in terms of composition) stuff - Amos, Nahum, Micah, Hosea, a big chunk of Isaiah, bits of Obadiah, Jeremiah, lots of Psalms, bits of Deuteronomy, trippy trippy Ezekiel, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, other early stuff, and jump straight into Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus, written (not set, it's all constructed 'history' or 'myth' or both, highly political either way) after the Babylonian exile.

She can do that when she starts studying the history of ideas.

bear grylls has done a good kids version my 13 year old really likes.

Well done for being open to her ideas!

Lee strobel the case for Christ kids

Agree . It's also important to tell her that it is fiction !

Important to tell her that it is seventy books, not one, some by multiple authors, and that it includes lots of philosophy, poetry, proverbs, constructed myth, genealogy, law texts, some biography/autobiography and yes, some episodes of 'fiction' (a concept that its authors would not have been familiar with).

And that spotting internal inconsistencies and debate (see Ezra vs Ruth for example) and the very odd ways later commentators interpret it is part of the fun, and a big reason for reading it yourself.

Tip for reading Proverbs (very repetitive) switch the sexes when it says a good or bad man/woman does or is whatever. And ask why it lands as it does. A 12 year old girl is just the right age to start examining the women (mythical and real) of the Bible, and to question what male commentators have said about them.

Also if she can, to read it out loud. It slows the process down. But don't do that with genealogies of land allocation or descriptions of the temple tent.