Ryrie Online Library

I have long appreciated Charles Ryrie's gift of being able to explain complicated biblical and theological in a simple way. Now two of his children, Bruce C. Ryrie and Carolyn Ryrie Howard, and the staff and faculty at Word of Life Bible Institute, have created a website highlighting Ryrie's sermons, manuscripts, letters, etc.You can access the website here.

HT: Alf Ceniga

Charles Ryrie's Bible Collection for Sale

Sotheby's will be auctioning Charles Ryrie's million dollar Bible collection on December 5 in New York. Items being offered "will include some 200 lots of manuscript and printed Bibles, ranging from the tenth-century “Benton” Gospels in Greek (estimate $50/$80,000) to a beautifully illuminated thirteenth-century Italian manuscript Bible in Latin (estimate $150/250,000) to two leaves surviving from the Gutenberg Bible, printed in Mainz about 1454 (estimate $50/70,000 each). But the core of the Ryrie Collection is the remarkable run of early English translations of the Bible, including multiple very rare early editions of the versions prepared by Myles Coverdale and William Tyndale, the latter of whom was martyred. Most remarkably, the Ryrie Collection includes a manuscript of John Wycliffe’s New Testament, produced in England about 1430 (estimate $500/800,000). The Authorized, or King James version is also well represented, including the tallest copy known of the first edition, from the celebrated library of Louis Silver (estimate $400/600,000). First and other early editions in many other vernacular languages are represented as well, including German, Spanish, Italian, Irish, Welsh, and the Indian Massachusett language." 

You can read more about the auction in this article. Start saving your shekels!

Charles Ryrie

   
Louis McBride has an interesting comment and personal reflection on Charles Ryrie. Concerning the former he notes, "I think it is fair to say that in most academic circles today Ryrie carries little weight if any at all. His appeal was always primarily to the popular crowd . . ." I think that Louis is right about the perception of Ryrie among many academics. This is unfortunate. One of the problems with the theological academy is its tendency to confuse simple with simplistic. Ryrie has the gift of making complicated things simple. Ryrie was simple, not simplistic. This is one reason why your average Christian found him useful. Frankly, I wish I had more of Ryrie's gift. A second problem with the theological academy is that it sometimes forgets that it really should serve the church before it serves the academy. Ryrie, it seems, understood this better than many theologians. I have known many pastors, Sunday school teachers, etc. that have found Ryrie to be helpful. May his tribe increase.

Unfortunately, I don't have my own personal Ryrie story, but I have appreciated his work. In any case, do read Louis' post here.