Being a Christian and a Metalhead myself, it’s just natural for me to combine these two identities. However in the Metal scene it is unfortunately common to have a negative attitude against the Bible and Christianity. Many metalheads for example think that the Bible is a boring book and therefore don’t give it a try. I think this attitude is very sad and that is something I want to change with the Metal Bible, so more metalheads give the Bible a try and checkout what the longhairy rebel Jesus has to say.
The history of the Metal Bible started way back in 1996. In 1996 I started to get a strong longing for a special Bible edition aimed to all that enjoys Metal. But back then I could however never dream that I would be the one putting it together. At that time it was also not God’s time to get started, so the project had to rest for several years.
But then in the Summer of 2002 I met a journalist called Urban Thoms at the newspaper Dagen. We talked and he said that now there are Biker Bibles, Football Bibles and other special Bibles but still there is no Metal Bible. At the moment he said this I strongly felt God speaking to me that NOW was the time to get started with this project and put it together.
So, I got in touch with Roul Åkesson at Bible For The Nations and right away he said that he thought it was a great idea to make a Metal Bible. So we started this project. Then next step was to contact all the metalheads that was to be featured in it. It has not been an easy road, however, it’s truly been a jungle to find the correct mail addresses! I have also had to wait a looong time for most of the texts, for example I had to wait over 6 months for Nicko McBrains text! So it has not been an easy project and it has taken its time.
But step by step God has put the pieces together and after 3 years of hard work and much prayer the first edition of the Metal Bible was finally released in Swedish in June 2005. A Dutch version was then released in 2007. 2011 it was released in English and German and 2012 in Spanish and Polish. Right now when I am writing this (November 2017) the Metal Bible has been released in 11 languages and more are on the way!
Purpose
The purpose of this special Bible is to break down prejudices and misconceptions that many metalheads have about the Bible and help people to realize that the Bible is not a boring book but an interesting and living book that has a lot to tell us today. My prayer is that many metalheads through the Metal Bible will realize that the Bible is a cool book and that its timeless message is something for us metalheads too.
Thanks
First of all I want to thank GOD and give Him all the glory for making the Metal Bible a reality!
I also want to give special thanks to Roul Åkesson for believing in the idea and for all your hard work you have put into this project.
I also want to thank Staffan Gustafsson (R.I.P.) & Anneli Svensson for translation, Daniel Karlsson for cool design, Birgit Åkesson & Hans Wirgin for checking the grammar in the Swedish version, Chris Gatto and Devon Hill for checking the grammar in the English version, María José Téllez for translation and for checking the grammar in the Spanish version, Jair Sagström for excellent work with the Dutch version. Big thanks also to each and everyone overall that have helped with translation, grammar etc to put the different Metal Bible editions together. Special thanks also to Urban Thoms for getting the project started. Big thanks also to all advertisers, sponsors and everyone that supported this project in prayer.
Last but not least I would just like to say that if the Metal Bible has broken some prejudices or meant something for you or helped you in any way all the hard work and all the money I have put into this, have been all worth it! It’s FOR YOU we have made the Metal Bible and I hope you enjoy it.
In His Service
Johannes Jonsson
Initiator & Coordinator of The Metal Bible
johannes@themetalbible.com