What is The Bible Project?

Answer

The Bible Project describes itself as follows: “The Bible Project is a non-profit animation studio that produces short-form, fully animated videos to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. They create videos, podcasts, and study guides that explore the Bible’s unified story by focusing on its overarching themes and each book’s literary design. They are committed to understanding the Bible in its historical context and communicating its wisdom for the modern world. Ultimately, they aim to change how people read and use the Bible” (https://thebibleproject.com/brand/).

The Bible Project was founded in 2014 by friends Jonathan Collins and Timothy Mackie. The men wanted to help people read through Scripture and understand it without falling into the common trap of seeing the Bible as a rule book or as a “devotional grab bag”; instead, they desired to present the Bible as a “unified story that leads to Jesus.” They started with two videos and have rapidly expanded—the team, the amount of content, and the type of content—from there.

The Bible Project’s team, as an organization, has no denominational ties. Collins and Mackie both attended Multnomah University; Mackie teaches at Western Seminary as does one of their board members, Gerry Breshears. The team includes individuals with backgrounds in biblical studies, animation, and technology, among other fields.

The Bible Project’s videos are of high quality and engaging. The combination of audio and visual elements helps aid understanding. The videos also include study notes, related blogs and podcasts, suggested books, and even recommended classes. The Bible Project encourages broad use of its content, with appropriate citations. Their goal is genuinely to help “everyone, everywhere” have access to the Bible. They understand that “the Bible speaks God’s word to his people” and believe it will lead people to Jesus, “who has the power to bring about change in.Individuals and entire communities benefit when we allow the biblical story to speak for itself. The projects are crowdfunded or supported through donations.

The Bible Project has faced some criticism regarding its portrayals of the atonement and hell. They do not present the atonement as substitutionary but rather emphasize other theories of the atonement. At times, they appear to reject the idea that hell is a place of eternal suffering. Together, it seems that they do not adequately stress God’s wrath toward sin. As with any teaching, users are encouraged to evaluate what they see and hear against what the Bible actually says. Overall, The Bible Project’s mission is grounded in the Bible, and it seems that the content they create is genuinely beneficial in enhancing people’s understanding of and engagement with God’s Word. Please visit their website to explore their videos and other resources for yourself: https://thebibleproject.com.