Religion Watch Archives

Monitoring Trends in Religion - From February 1990 to January 2016

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Archives
    • By Issue
    • By Article
    • By PDF (2008-14)
    • By PDF (1985-97)
    • All Articles
  • Sections
    • Current Research
    • Findings & Footnotes
    • On/File
  • Google Search
You are here: Home / On/File / January/February 2012

On/File: January/February 2012

January 1, 2012 by Richard Cimino

Print-friendly

Remembering stories about heroic “Bible smugglers,” few people in the West realize that one of the largest Bible printing plants in the world, the Amity Printing Company, is located in Nanjing, China.

It is reported that 55 million copies of the Bible for Christians in China have been printed there since the printing plant was launched in 1985. After the “Cultural Revolution,” it became nearly impossible to get a Bible in China. The state permitted three million copies of the Bible to be printed, but this was far from sufficient. This led to the establishment of the new plant in Nanjing, thanks to the support of the World Bible Alliance. The new plant, which opened in 2008, can print up to 18 million copies of the Bible a year: this means that it does not only print Bibles for China, but also for 70 countries around the world in 80 languages.

Around 500 people are working there. Since forests are sparse in China and recycled paper cannot be used for the thin but opaque Bible paper, the raw material for producing the paper must be imported from abroad. Bible societies around the world have been subsidizing paper for Bible printing in China: this allows the production of a copy of the Bible at a price of some $3.60, although they sell for $2.40 (16 Yuan), which represents about the price of 30 eggs.

(Source: Die Bibel Aktuell, Spitalstrasse 12, 2501 Biel, Switzerland – www.die-bibel.ch)

Print-friendly

Filed Under: On/File

Also in this issue

  • Findings & Footnotes: January/February 2012
  • Japan’s earthquake creates new religious alliances
  • China shows multifaceted Buddhist renewal
  • Chinese government more concerned with political activities than beliefs
  • Zionist sentiment finds doubters among evangelicals?
  • ‘Global hotspots’ for Christian mission in unlikely places
  • Current Research: January/February 2012
  • Political science’s ‘conversion’ to religion real but unsteady
  • Declining Conservative Jewish day school movement tied to denomination’s membership losses
  • Drop in abuse cases pointing to changesin Catholic priest formation
  • Graphic novels, popular culture—last refuge for the paranormal?
  • Mormon leadership on anassimilationist path

Search the Site

Download the first issue of RELIGION WATCH (1980)

Download the first issue of RELIGION WATCH (1980)

Click on the image for downloading

© 2016-2023 Richard Cimino / Religioscope
·News Pro Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress