Zondervan Defends New Study Bible Amid Criticism of DEI Themes
Zondervan's new NIV Upside-Down Study Bible has drawn concerns from Christians and the conservative advocacy group One Million Moms, calling for a boycott of the publication due to its "woke concerns."
"Zondervan's newest NIV study Bible is unlike other Bibles in that it includes elements of theological and gender diversity. As such, Christians should be aware this could be called a DEI Bible. (DEI is an acronym for diversity, equity, and inclusion.)" One Million Moms said in their petition launched earlier this month.
"One of Zondervan's newest publications is the Upside-Down Kingdom Bible: Think Deeply/Love Widely. But it can be more accurately described as upside-down theology because it includes interpretations of Scriptures from a woke mindset, with opinions based on a magnitude of cultural and sexual perspectives."
As described on Amazon, The Upside-Down Kingdom Bible" provides hundreds of side-column notes, full-page articles, essays, and book introductions that skillfully and thoughtfully address topics such as race and ethnicity, creation care, science, abortion, wealth and poverty, gender and sexuality, politics, baptism, technology, and others."
Preston Sprinkle, president of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender (CFSG), a Christian organization focused on issues of "faith and LGBT+ inclusivity," served as the publication's general editor along with contributions by scholars and leaders of various denominations and theological backgrounds.
NotTheBee published several posts from Woke Preacher Clips, which featured several clips from an interview Sprinkle did with some of the contributing scholars.
"One of the values going into the study Bible was diversity. So ethnic diversity, gender diversity, denominational, theological diversity…" Sprinkle told Contributor Joey Dodson, Associate Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary.
Dodson explained that he has a "huge burden" for the multicultural church.
"God's voice is not one color, it's not one nation, it's not one gender. God is spirit ...so we need to hear those (diverse) voices again and again and again ...Exegesis is best done in a community, and it's best done in a diverse community," he contended.
Additionally, Dodson said he likes the Gospel of Luke because of its elevation of women and John because it deals with "church trauma."
A foundational value to Zondervan's "Upside-Down Kingdom" study Bible is what I call the Multiethnic Magisterium, the recent meta-theological innovation that asserts a multitude of cultural and sexual perspectives are necessary for proper interpretation of the scriptures.… pic.twitter.com/Yjuwf7i3P5
— Woke Preacher Clips (@WokePreacherTV) January 1, 2025
Sprinkle also hosted an interview with Jill Firth, a lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. She claimed that she does not believe any women submitted in the Old Testament.
"I don't think any women submit in the Old Testament, for example," said Firth. "I'm not saying anything about the New Testament, but in the Old Testament, there's a whole difference."
More insights from the Zondervan "Upside-Down Kingdom" study Bible team:
— Woke Preacher Clips (@WokePreacherTV) January 3, 2025
"I don't think any women submit in the Old Testament" pic.twitter.com/KRDfAXRcYf
She also does not recommend the book of Ezra, Nehemiah, Ecclesiastes for women's Bible studies because there's "not many women in them."
"And when they are, not much exciting is happening for them," Firth added.
Jill Firth (Ridley College, Melbourne): "I wouldn't recommend Ezra, Nehemiah, or even Ecclesiastes, actually, for a women's study about what women should do, coz there's not many women in them. And when they are, not much exciting is happening for them."
— Woke Preacher Clips (@WokePreacherTV) January 3, 2025
Note that in the… pic.twitter.com/NO9lAV1tpR
In response to the backlash, Zondervan maintained that the Upside-Down Kingdom Bible and its contributing scholars are committed to upholding Evangelical Christian beliefs.
"The Upside-Down Kingdom Bible is a new tool for engaging Christians who are seeking biblically based answers to today's tough questions," Zondervan said in a statement shared with The Christian Post.
"As is standard with our study Bibles, contributions are from multiple biblical scholars with trusted credentials and expertise in their fields of study. All the contributors hold to the authority of the Scripture, and the content has been fully reviewed to ensure that it is within the scope of evangelical Christian beliefs."
Zondervan previously faced criticism from conservative Christians, including the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the Southern Baptist Convention, for the 2011 publication of an NIV Bible, which was updated to include gender-neutral language.
Photo Credit: ©X/Woke Preacher Clips
Originally published January 20, 2025.
