Bible Sales Steady Despite Controversy

A majority of Christian booksellers said that a recent squabble over an inclusive-language Bible had little or no impact on Bible sales, according to a new survey by an association of Christian retailers.

Of the nearly 140 retailers surveyed by the Colorado Springs-based Christian Booksellers Assn., 97% said Bible sales remained steady. Nearly 40% of retailers reported that Bible sales were up or have remained the same. Only 9% reported that Bible sales had dropped.

Although the International Bible Society scrapped its plan to publish a New International Version of the Bible that would substitute gender-neutral words for gender-specific words, the association wanted to know how customers perceived the matter, said Terry Jackson, assistant to the president of CBA.

Retailers reported that most customers--nearly 70 %--did not know that the society had dropped plans to publish the revised version, while more than 20% thought the controversy was over and 17% said the matter could affect other Bible sales, according to CBA Marketplace, a publication that covers Christian retailing.

Among retailers, 79% concluded that the controversy was dying or was no longer an issue.