Clarence Jordan: Bringing Scripture to Life
Clarence Jordan had a bold vision—to bring the gospel into the everyday lives of modern Americans, particularly Southerners. In his Cotton Patch translations, he didn’t just update the language—he relocated the biblical narrative, casting familiar events in the settings of small-town Georgia. Through this, Clarence made the radical love of Christ impossible to ignore.
Rich in humor and unsparing in their earthiness, Clarence’s translations and lectures “explode in our ears the mighty ideas which transformed the early disciples and enabled them to turn their world upside down” (Dallas Lee, Introduction to The Cotton Patch Evidence). His ability to take Scripture out of its ancient context and weave it into the struggles of twentieth-century America continues to inspire.
Revolutionary in Its Time—and Ours
At a time when the South was embroiled in the struggle for civil rights, Clarence’s translations didn’t just make the Scriptures modern—they brought the gospel into the heart of the racial injustice. Jesus wasn’t just born in an apple crate, he was lynched in Georgia, right in the middle of America’s own moral crises. Clarence dared to place the gospel squarely in the struggles of his time, asking, What does Jesus’ life and teaching demand from us today?
In his Cotton Patch versions of the New Testament, Jesus was wrapped in a blanket and placed in an apple crate at His birth, lynched in Leesburg, Georgia, and greeted His disciples with a “Howdy” when He emerged from His tomb on Easter. Clarence’s words don’t just tell stories—they force us to reckon with the gospel’s call to justice, love, and sacrifice in our world.
From the introduction of the Cotton Patch Version of Paul’s Epistles, Clarence explains his motivation:
“Why a “cotton patch” version? While there have been many excellent translations of the Scriptures into modern English, they still have left us stranded in some faraway land in the long-distant past. We need to have the good news come to us not only in our own tongue but in our own time. We want to be participants in the faith, not merely spectators…”
Clarence wanted to translate not only the words but also the events, bringing them out of first-century Palestine and into twentieth-century America. The Cotton Patch versions speak directly to modern problems, feelings, frustrations, and hopes, allowing the word to become modern flesh.
Living the Gospel at Koinonia
At Koinonia Farm, Clarence’s vision still guides us. His Southern retelling of the Scriptures mirrors our mission to make the gospel a living, breathing force for justice, compassion, and shared life today. Like Clarence, we seek to make the good news at home in the cotton fields, blueberry patches, and community gardens, where the word becomes modern flesh. Here at Koinonia, we don’t just study the gospel—we strive to live it.
Dive Into the Cotton Patch Gospel
If you’ve never read Clarence Jordan’s Cotton Patch Gospels, there’s no better time. The message is as fresh and challenging today as it was then. You can dive deeper into his Southern retelling of the New Testament and be inspired by the same stories that have shaped Koinonia’s mission for over eight decades.
Introduction to Cottonpatch:
Clarence Reads Matthew 27: