Some Specialty Bibles Are Not-So-Good Books

One of the great miracles of religious retailing is the selling of the Bible.

In a country saturated with Scriptures (one survey found 98 percent of Americans own a copy), publishers use an endless array of gimmicks.

The latest is the specialty Bible, targeted at specific groups. Titles include “Rappin’ With Jesus” (which transforms the plot to kill Christ into a drive-by shooting), “Path to Victory” (an athlete’s New Testament featuring pictures of baseball player Orel Hershiser and room for autographs), the “Singing Bible,” the “Kid’s Comic Book Bible” and the “Woman’s Study Bible” (including notes on menopause and fertility).