Listen! The "Chinese Audio Drama Bible"
Have you ever imagined that one day the Bible would become a radio drama you can listen to anywhere using a smartphone? Through the joint efforts of Salvation Media Association and Korea’s Grace & Mercy Foundation, along with nearly a hundred voice actors and artists, the "Chinese Audio Drama Bible" was launched on April 30. Whether you use an iPhone or an Android phone, you can freely download and listen by visiting the App Store or Google Play Store!
The key driving force: God’s guidance
Why did Salvation Broadcasting Association want to produce the Chinese Audio Drama Bible? It all began with an important driving force — Elder Hong Shanqun of the Salvation Broadcasting Association. Four years ago, he met Korean missionary Pastor Lee Sangran. At that time, Pastor Lee, accompanied by another pastor from Korea, invited Elder Hong to bless and pray for the Korean Audio Drama Bible project that the Grace & Mercy Foundation of Korea was producing.
This request deeply moved Elder Hong Shanqun. He realized that the group most in need of an audio drama Bible in the world were Chinese-speaking people. Therefore, Elder Hong not only prayed for the Korean Audio Drama Bible, but also asked the two Korean pastors to pray on behalf of the Salvation Broadcasting Association for the promotion and production of the Chinese Audio Drama Bible. Thank God, who heard their prayers. Six months later, Salvation Broadcasting Association partnered with Korea’s Grace & Mercy Foundation to begin producing the Chinese Audio Drama Bible (hereafter referred to as the Drama Bible).
Golden Vessel, Fit for the Lord’s Use
The production process of the “Drama Bible” is rigorous and professional, gathering nearly a hundred voice actors and artists from Taiwan, including several Golden Bell Award winners and well-known Christian performers. For example: Golden Bell Best Actor Lee Tianzhu plays David; Golden Bell Best Actress Lee Ming-yi plays Esther; Golden Bell winner Ni Zijun plays Pilate; and Pastor Song Yimin, chairman of the “Shining Together Association,” plays Peter.
Brother Lee Tianzhu, a veteran actor who plays David, said in an interview with TVBS: “We try to imagine how such a character (referring to David) establishes a relationship with God. However, the drama contains many voices and expressions that may reflect inner emotions, but in this context (referring to voice acting), because there are no visuals, pauses cannot be too long.” Therefore, playing David was a major challenge in his acting career.
Sister Li Mingyi, who plays Esther, discovered she had thyroid cancer before recording. Fearing that surgery would prevent her from recording, she deliberately postponed the operation for a month to present Esther in the Bible in her best possible condition.
I’m sure brothers and sisters are very curious about who plays the Lord Jesus in the Drama Bible. In this production, the role is played by actor Brother Lan Juntian. Since this is Lan Juntian’s first time starring in a voice drama, taking on such a crucial role in human history brought him great pressure. In an interview, he candidly admitted the heavy burden but also deeply experienced the intense sorrow Jesus felt during His suffering. After performing the scene of “Jesus on the Cross,” he even collapsed and wept for nearly twenty minutes!
"Drama Bible" download, installation, and testing
Installing the "Drama Bible" app is very simple. Just go to the iPhone's App Store or the Android phone's Google Play Store, use the search function to look up the keyword "Drama Bible," and you will see it listed first. Simply click and download.
After actual testing, I find that the most powerful feature of the "Drama Bible" app is the "Bible Reading Plan" function. As Elder Hong Shanqun said, you can listen to the entire Old and New Testament Bible in 100 hours, so it would be a pity not to use the reading plan feature. Of course, the app also allows browsing different Bible chapters to listen to how artists and voice actors interpret various Bible stories and characters. I believe every Chinese Christian would want to hear how Lan Juntian (Blue Jun Tian) interprets the Lord Jesus with his voice!
How to Reach the Younger Generation
Young people’s reluctance to attend church is a key concern shared by pastors and workers across many churches in Taiwan. Using the appeal of artists to enter online platforms and smartphones, creating a captivating audio Bible is a very good starting point. However, how to effectively use the “Drama Bible” app to truly reach the hearts of the younger generation—who are deeply influenced by the internet and social media influencers—still requires the united effort and cooperation of pastors and ministry workers.
References:
"How to Turn the Bible into a 'Movie to Listen To'? Behind the Scenes of the Chinese Audio Drama Bible Featuring a Hundred Artists: Directing, Casting, and Music Revealed" Source: Christian Times Forum Publication Date: 2021/05/01 URL:https://www.ct.org.tw/1384592
"[Lan Jun Tian Portrays Jesus] As If Walking the Passion with Jesus, Experiencing Christ’s Self-Sacrificing Love, Breaking Down in Tears to Complete Recording" Source: Christian Times Forum Publication Date: 2021/05/01 URL:https://www.ct.org.tw/1384611
“David Lee & Ming-Yi Lee Lend Their Voices! Challenging Voice Drama, Portraying ‘Bible Characters’ Tests Their Skills” Source: TVBS News Publication Date: 2021/04/22 URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8CYuBYEOyE
"Chinese Audio Drama Bible Takes You Into a World of Wind and Rain │ Five Fresh Things Christians Should Know EP39 【GOOD NEWS 5】" Source: GOOD TV NEWS Publication Date: 2021/04/28 URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtEdhK9UK5A
Jiang Zongyu, loves reading, watching movies and writing, and because of movies and writing, he cooperates with "Kingdom of God" magazine in interviews and writing. I hope that through words, the good news of the gospel can be conveyed to more readers.