Copyright’s Implications for the Church and Its Mission
Our practices reflect our beliefs in the Bible's teaching on possessions.
The world of content creation and its related copyrights can be both stimulating and challenging, and at times, confusing. Copyright law is complex, technical, and often bewildering. However, understanding copyright law is essential when using others' content in churches, for social media posts, or when publishers dangle the promise of royalties. Licensing restrictions are the default for most writers, as the hope of generating revenue from their hard work is appealing. In reality, most earn very little, and authors frequently lose sight of their original incentive to write – the public good and a genuine desire to bless and help others.
Copyright protections are pervasive, covering nearly all works created by authors and artists, including books, letters, photographs, paintings, music, software code, videos, recordings, and other forms of expression. Copyright happens automatically and lasts for an absurdly long time: the life of the author, plus 70 years in most countries. Understanding the basics of copyright law matters if you wish to share your work in the church. It also matters if your writing includes quotes or incorporates the work of others.
So why does copyright even exist, and how did its restrictions enter the church? Perhaps Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in the 1400s was responsible. Mass production, at least at that time, made books available at a fraction of the cost and to a much broader audience. It may also have been influenced by Martin Luther, whose writings, printed in Germany, were distributed on a massive scale partly because there were no copyright controls. His and others' “unprotected” works triggered the Reformation and a spiritual revolution.
As printing technology advanced, writers sought to control and exploit their work. Yet, it was the publishers who held that control. However, authors eventually prevailed when copyright laws were established in England in 1708, in the U.S. in 1790, and soon after in other parts of the world. Finally, the dream of writing as a source of income was a reality—for some. Today, most countries have laws that provide copyright protection. Under modern secular copyright law, the protection is immediate, certain, and guaranteed, even for Bible translations.
The church, especially in the West, was influenced and captivated by this approach. It uncritically adopted modern secular copyright values, a troubling development. The American Standard Version (ASV) began playing the “all-rights-reserved” card in 1901. Religious leaders quickly followed suit, limiting and exploiting their works, leading to the emergence of modern Christian publishing. Consequently, most modern Bible translations and discipleship training resources are released with the "all rights reserved” warning. Today, the way the church manages its copyrighted content differs very little from that of the world. The Western church’s embrace of the world's philosophy on copyright often results in an emphasis on monetizing its donor-funded content, limiting access to Bible translations and discipleship tools in thousands of minority languages.
Yes, authors have a legal right to exploit and restrict their work. But is that always the right or best choice? Must a right always be exercised? Paul said not always. “But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. (1 Cor 9:12-BSB). Our practices reflect our beliefs in Biblical teaching on possessions (1 Chr 29:12), motivations (Psa 73:28, Mat 5:16), finances (Luk 12:21), sharing (1 Joh 3:17), and how we care for others (Rom 12:13). Copyright law provides authors and artists the opportunity to share or restrict. This should be a topic of discussion in our seminaries and among religious leaders. Discovering God’s ways for our property (in this case, Intellectual Property) regarding the legitimacy of an all-rights-reserved approach versus sharing should always be included in our reasoning and reflected in our choices.
Bruce Erickson © 2025
A copy of this post is available as a PDF at https://www.academia.edu/130014066/Copyrights_Implications_for_the_Church_and_Its_Mission