Dr. Kenneth Taylor: The Man Who Brought the Bible Home

By Matt Price, Director, ACT Resources, Marketing & Development 

I began my career in Christian publishing more than 30 years ago at Tyndale House Publishers in Carol Stream, Illinois. At the time, I was a graduate student at Wheaton College—newly married and searching for part-time work. I was pursuing an M.A. in Christian History, with plans to earn a doctorate and eventually teach at the college level. But it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the world of book publishing. After completing my studies, along with a second M.A. in Communication Theory, I made the decision to devote myself fully to publishing.

But this isn’t my story. This is about Dr. Kenneth N. Taylor—a man whose vision and faith have inspired me ever since our paths first crossed at Tyndale. Though his name may not be familiar to everyone, his impact is undeniable. As the author of The Living Bible and the founder of Tyndale House Publishers, Dr. Taylor reshaped how millions of people encounter the Scriptures. His life was characterized by unwavering faith, creative innovation, and a passionate commitment to making God’s Word accessible to all.

A Man on a Mission

Born in 1917 in Portland, Oregon, Kenneth Taylor grew up in a devout Christian family. He earned degrees from Wheaton College and Dallas Theological Seminary, and later served as editor at Moody Press and the vice president of Moody Bible Institute. But despite his academic and professional accomplishments, Taylor was deeply aware of a growing problem in the modern church: the Bible, especially in its more literal translations like the King James Version, was often difficult for ordinary people, including his own children, to understand. That concern sparked a personal mission that would eventually change the Christian publishing world.

From the Back Seat to the Bookstore

The inspiration for The Living Bible came from a simple family routine. Taylor would read the Bible aloud to his children during their long car rides, but he noticed they were confused by the language. Determined to make Scripture more accessible, he began paraphrasing passages of the Bible in contemporary English, starting with the Epistles.

Each day, while commuting by train into Chicago, and every night, after he arrived home, he would work at his kitchen table, carefully paraphrasing Scripture to bring its meaning to life in plain, modern English. What began as a father’s gift to his children turned into a project with global reach.

In 1962, Taylor self-published Living Letters, the first portion of what would eventually become The Living Bible. Encouraged by its positive reception, he continued to paraphrase the rest of the Bible, completing the full Living Bible in 1971.

Even though he could have earned tens of millions of dollars in royalties from The Living Bible, Dr. Taylor donated everything to Living Bibles International (LBI) and to the Tyndale House Foundation (THF). LBI is a nonprofit ministry that he founded to produce modern language translations of the New Testament in various languages worldwide. Founded in 1968, it eventually merged with the International Bible Society in 1992. THF is a faith-driven public charity that distributes grants to Christian ministries around the globe.

A New Voice in Christian Publishing

When Dr. Taylor couldn't find a publisher willing to take a risk on his paraphrased version of Scripture, he decided to found his own company: Tyndale House Publishers, named after William Tyndale, the English reformer who translated the Bible into English in the 16th century.

From its humble beginnings in the basement of the Taylor family home, Tyndale House grew rapidly. By 1972, The Living Bible had become a bestseller. It reached an even wider audience when evangelist Billy Graham began using it in his crusades and offered it through his ministry.

Tyndale House didn’t stop there. Over the decades, it became one of the most trusted names in Christian publishing, producing Bibles, devotional literature, Christian fiction, and inspirational non-fiction that continues to serve the global church. Even after Taylor stepped down from leadership, the company continued to flourish, guided by the same mission: making God's Word accessible.

Faith in Every Word

Dr. Taylor was the first to admit that The Living Bible was a paraphrase—not a direct translation from the original languages—but his goal was clarity, not scholarly precision. He wanted people to understand the heart of Scripture. For those new to the faith, for children, or for anyone daunted by formal Bible versions, The Living Bible was like a conversation with a wise friend explaining God's truth.

His efforts came not from a desire for fame, but from a heart filled with reverence for the Bible and compassion for those struggling to read it. Taylor once said, “I prayed as I worked that the Lord would bless it and use it, and that he would protect me from error.” It was always about the people, and about God.

Legacy of Accessibility

Dr. Kenneth Taylor passed away in 2005, but his legacy lives on through the countless lives transformed by The Living Bible and the work of Tyndale House Publishers. His vision paved the way for many of today’s readable Bible versions, and his model of combining faith, innovation, and publishing courage remains a guiding light for Christian communicators.

In the end, Dr. Taylor’s story is a testimony to what God can do with one person’s passion to share His Word. From a kitchen table to the bookshelves of the world, Kenneth Taylor made the Bible come alive, and brought it home to the hearts of millions.