TAYLOR, Kenneth N. 1917-2005

(Kenneth Nathaniel Taylor)

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born May 8, 1917, in Portland, OR; died of heart failure June 10, 2005, in Wheaton, IL. Publisher and author. Taylor was the founder of the Christian book press Tyndale House and creator of The Living Bible. A 1938 graduate of Wheaton College, he studied at Dallas Theological Seminary for two years and earned a master's degree in theology at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1944. His early career was spent as director of Moody Press in Chicago, a publisher of Protestant literature. His idea for what became The Living Bible (1971) came when he found that his children had a hard time understanding the King James version of the Bible. He decided to translate the Old and New Testaments into colloquial English, coming up with an early version he called the "Living Letters." Unfortunately, Taylor failed to find a publisher to accept his text, so he resolutely set out to found Tyndale House in 1962. With the help of the endorsement of Christian evangelist leader Billy Graham, Taylor quickly gained an avid readership for his easy-to-understand version of the Scripture. Tyndale House became a huge success and is now a lead-ing Christian press. Taylor led his company as president until 1984, when he stepped down from the office but continued his association with the company as chair of the board of directors. Also the author of such books as Who Is This Man Jesus?: "The Living New Testament" (1973) and "The Living New Testament" Notebook (1977), Taylor's concern that children receive a good Christian education led to his producing numerous juvenile titles, including Stories for the Children's Hour (1953; revised edition, 1968), Evolution and the High School Student (1969), How to Grow: First Steps for New Christians (1985), and Ken Taylor's Favorite Bible Stories (1995).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Chicago Tribune, June 13, 2005, section 1, p. 11.

New York Times, June 15, 2005, p. C20.

Washington Post, June 18, 2005, p. B7.