Profile: Dr Bryan Ball
Nathan Brown
Book editor
Signs Publishing Company
Honorary senior research fellow: Dr Bryan Ball.
Dr Bryan Ball is an honorary senior research fellow at Avondale College of Higher Education. He is also a former president of Avondale and of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific. Connections asks Bryan about the revised edition of Can We Still Believe the Bible?
What is the significance of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible?
The King James Version influenced the establishment of Protestantism in the English-speaking world. It remained the only English version for nearly 300 years. Today—400 years on—it is still the preferred version in some parts of the world and its influence on millions from many generations and from many countries has been incalculable.
What is the role of the Bible in the living of our faith?
It is the Word of God as traditionally understood. As such, it reveals God’s perspective on humanity and human history and His way of putting right the obvious and deep-rooted sickness in the human race. It does this by confronting us with the reality of ourselves and all of humanity—and the reality of Jesus, the divine answer to the human dilemma of sin and its consequences.
How does your experience as a former church leader influence what and how you write?
Some of my other books have dealt with more historical aspects of Christianity, but this one came from my observation of changing attitudes to the Bible in the church, particularly among young adults, and to declining awareness of the crucial importance of the Bible to the survival of authentic Christian belief and lifestyle.
How do you use the Bible in your daily life of faith?
I tend to read longer passages at one sitting—sometimes a book at a time, often several chapters in succession. Maybe that’s one advantage of being retired! I also read from different versions, although my favourite is the New King James Version. That dates me, but I like it for its genuine attempt to reflect the precise meaning of the original languages.