Obviously inspired by Trump’s Bible, but looking for factual answers and so it doesn’t only apply to that example.
Can anyone weigh in on what various religions say/would say about adding things like the Constitution and Pledge of Allegiance (or any other non-Bible stuff) into a Bible? Would this or that church consider it sacrilege, heresy, or otherwise offensive?
Or is it just fine?
It will vary, depending on denomination.
There are sects such as the Quakers, the Amish, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who view loyalty to the Deity as supreme over any worldly loyalty. In time of war, they require their members to register as Conscientious Objectors. The Jehovah’s Witnesses explicitly compare patriotism to idolatry.
On the other hand, many Christian sects see no conflict between love of Deity and love of country. Many Protestant churches will have a U.S. flag behind the altar.
Here is an article from CNN which outlines some of the reactions from Christian groups to Trump’s Bible:
It’s also going to vary based on what the non-Bible material is. There’s a difference between song lyrics and documents that really only pertain to a single country and and an index or maps that would be useful to anyone reading the Bible.
It’s not at all uncommon for Bibles to be published with additional material beyond the canonical text. This may include things like maps, translators’ notes, introductions to the Bible as a whole and/or to the individual books, commentary (as in the (in)famous Scofield Reference Bible), or additional devotional or instructional materials (example: the “Lessons From Life” Bible that includes “personal reflections with Jimmy Carter”).
Since there have been some factual answers for Christianity, I’ll throw in the Jewish perspective.
The Torah scroll would never have anything added to it.
But almost any books that contain “the bible” are going to have the text, commentary on the text from a few different sources (who often disagree), and then (depending on the type of book) potentially even more layers of commentary, with latter rabbis commenting on the commentary of earlier rabbis.
You can get a book that just has the original biblical text in Hebrew; but if you’re getting a translated version (typically one with English text on one page and Hebrew text on the opposite page) it almost always has commentary, at least from the big guys like Rashi or Rambam.
The original 1611 edition of the KJV contains things we don’t see in more recent publishings:
an essay proclaiming the glory of the king, a table of days and the appropriate readings for the day, a preface from the translators to the reader (in which they say, basically, we have done the best we can, and know that future scholars will improve upon this), the apocryphal books, and something of an index.
One distinction I have seen through my life is between a Bible version and an edition. In that usage, the “version” is the translation of the actual canon of scripture that is used - King James, Revised Standard, New International, New American, Douay-Rheims, etc. ; and “edition” is the publisher’s format presentation including supplementary material if any.
In my experience, editions sponsored or endorsed by major denominations or seminaries will generally stick to the text of their institutionally preferred version for the scripture, and have as appendices things like reference maps, indexes and glossaries; in more devotional-oriented editions they will add worship and meditation texts, and in study editions you see more book introductions, concordances and commentary.
One thing that is expected to be observed and does raise hackles among the denominations and the more conscientious readers when it’s not, is that any edition should clearly differentiate what is scripture vs. what is supplementary editorial or devotional content. So at the very least it is generally universally expected that you do NOT try to pass your supplementary material as part of the holy books themselves.
So ISTM someone wants to publish an edition with various patriotic items as supplements, that’s up to them though there’s a certain tackiness to it.
The way I see it: someone keep an eye on Donald Trump, Jr. If nothing happens to him, then there’s no problem with what is in the Trump Bible (at least, according to Revelation 22:18 and Exodus 11:1-5).
But in those days, some households might only have a few books.
18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book.
Here’s how some Christians reacted:
Fwiw, my childhood Haggadah included a lot of US patriotic songs. The Haggadah, like the Bible, is a standard text which is commonly published in translation, with various abridgements, supplements, illustrations, etc. It’s the text of the passover service. And the one i grew up with was published during WWII, when American Jews were very happy to be American.
I think that is more akin to a hymn or prayer book (and the prayer book I saw at many synagogues as a kid had both the US and Canada national anthems in the back; this was in California, so it was never actually called for, but that didn’t stop a small group of us from blasting out with “Oh Canada” at the end of services!)
I think those generally aren’t seen as “holy texts” in the same way a bible would?
(Addendum to my prior post: historically “edition” has referred also, as in the case of any other book, to less-than-radical revisions/clean-ups of a particular version of the specific scripture text.)
Such as the Wicked bible.
It depends on whether the stuff being added is being added to “the Bible” or being added as something in addition to the bible.
Revelation 22:18 says “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.”
While this could be interpreted to mean only the book of Revelation many Christians would say applies to the whole of the bible.
As others have said pretty much every bible has text in it which is not part of the bible itself everything from chapters and verses (which were not in the original text and have been added to ease of referance) to study notes, concordances and reading guides.
If the stuff being added is put on an equal footing to scripture then it would be likely considered blasphemus
If (say) the constitution is added as a referance it seems an odd thing to do. While the first ammendment rather than being a two way “seperation of church and state” but is a rather “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Christianity is for all nations and states and putting it into a bible, even one sold only in the US goes against this.
The constitution and the bible are entirely different documents. If one in publishing the complete works of Shakepeare would not be odd to add a biography of the Bard, but it would be to add a history of the Green Bay Packers.
While it is commonly translated that way, the word that is translated as ‘scroll’ is “βιβλίου” which more correctly translates as ‘book’. Scroll (or volume) would translate to the word κεφαλίδι and both are used together in Hebrews 10:7. In the context of Hebrew 10:7 the scroll or volume is part of a larger book. This gives support to not changing the Bible. However I don’t see adding things to a Bible that is purposely presented as not part of the Bible is any issue here, (personally).
Revelation was penned before it was accepted as part of Scripture, the bible is ofter thought of as a library of 66 books. Not all scripture is prophecy so I think “βιβλίου” still refers to the “book” of Revelation though it can be also applied ot be true of other scripture
I agree that adding things to a Bible that is purposely presented as not part of the Bible is any issue here. Noone had complained about study bibles and concondences at the back of a bible even page numbers could be regarded as non biblical content in a bible.
Where it might become an issue is if it is not clear whether it is being given the weight of scripture. Many bibles have a ready referance section where they might things like the 10 commandments, the 23rd Psalm, the Lord’s Prayer, if that section also included the constitution and the pledge of allegience some might say it is elevating those things to be equivelent to the Word of God.