Jo Hye-ryeon writes 'Easy-to-See Bible Stories'

Jo Hye-ryeon writes 'Easy-to-See Bible Stories'. January. 14, 2025 07:55. by Chin-Ku Lee sys1201@donga.com.
“Even as an adult, when I first read the Bible, it was so difficult that I closed the book several times. I wanted to create something that would make it easier for first-time readers to understand and enjoy.”

This is how comedian Jo Hye-ryeon described her motivation for publishing her recent book, Jo Hye-ryeon’s 'Easy-to-See Bible Stories,' during an interview at a café in Daehak-ro, Seoul, on Thursday. The book simplifies stories from the Old and New Testaments into a format understandable even for elementary school students, complemented by over 1,300 illustrations by artist Lee Jung-jun. Christian terms such as “redemption” are rewritten as “paying a price to grant freedom,” while sentences are carefully crafted to remain faithful to the Bible’s original meaning but easier to grasp.

Jo shared that the biggest challenge was avoiding errors. “When explaining Bible verses through illustrations, I had to condense the content, which made it crucial to avoid misrepresenting the Bible's meaning,” she explained. To ensure accuracy, she excluded parts with potential interpretative controversies and sought reviews from experts, including Professor Kim Byung-kook of Baekseok University's Department of Theology and Pastor Lee Hae-won.

True to her comedic roots, Jo infused the book with light humor to make it more enjoyable for beginners. For example, she likens Esau and Jacob, the twin brothers from Genesis, to MBTI personality types, describing Esau as an ‘E’ and Jacob as a strong ‘I.’ Jo completed a doctorate in historical theology at Pyeongtaek University’s Pearson Graduate School of Theology last year and dedicated three hours a day to writing the book for seven months.

She hopes the book will serve as “a stepping stone to help readers begin their journey with the Bible.” Jo emphasized that understanding the Bible, rooted in the history of the Israelites, often requires additional resources to explain its cultural terms, historical context, and the era’s situations. This can make it challenging for even longtime churchgoers to fully grasp its meaning beyond individual verses.

“I hope more people can access the Bible, so I made my book freely available for anyone to use,” she said, explaining her decision to forego copyright ownership. “Even for non-Christians, the Bible is a book that can provide profound insights into life."