NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/27/07 -- If you believe that we evolved from apes, that Genesis is great poetry, and that the Universe is billions of years old, can you still enjoy reading the Bible?

Bronx school teacher and book artist Ruth Rimm thinks she has an answer. Her latest book series, the "Lost Spiritual World," is a lavishly illustrated, "postmodern" edition of the Bible for skeptics, seekers, and people of different faiths.

"There may be a profound message behind the miracle stories, but the big bang and evolution implore us not to read things literally," Rimm says. "Most Americans would rather discover the spiritual truths behind the religious metaphors, especially given how fundamentalism is impacting public life with a narrow view of religion."

Rimm's edition of the Bible is anything but conventional, starting with an unusual design style. "The rectangular format of most books just doesn't capture the majesty of the text," says Rimm. Instead, she developed a wavy shape format, with exotic inks and computer generated artwork, to give readers "a more intimate experience of the mystical."

The book is peppered with quotes by leading figures of other traditions, including the Dalai Lama and Rabbi Michael Lerner. Rimm even quotes self-help gurus such as Wayne Dyer and Tony Robbins, showing how their messages can be traced to ancient wisdom. The recent surge in atheism, as evidenced by bestselling books such as "The God Delusion," miss the point of religion, says Rimm. "We all want to be a part of a spiritual community and to do good works. And science, for all its accomplishments, has yet to find a replacement."

Miriam Therese Winter, a bestselling composer and professor of spirituality at Hartford Seminary, says Rimm's work underscores how younger artists and writers are exploring the world's religions "not as traditional believers, but as spiritual seekers. They are rediscovering the spiritual and mystical core common to all traditions."

The first volume of the "Lost Spiritual World" series explores the complete Gospel of Mark using the Scholars Version, a bestselling translation by scholars from Harvard, Notre Dame, Vassar, and other major universities. Later volumes present the Torah, Bhagavad Gita, Buddhist sutras, and Sufi mysticism.

Rimm's marketing is as edgy as her book's design. Her publisher, Global Renaissance, is developing an irreverent series of YouTube videos showing Jesus returning as a gorilla and speaking in parables.

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Martin Rimm
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