On October 17, 2019, the BBT and GBC cooperatively appointed an Editorial Review Panel (ERP) to address devotees’ concerns about making changes to Çréla Prabhupäda’s books after his physical departure.
Formed with the mandate to review all proposed and previously published edits to Çréla Prabhupäda’s books in the English language, the ERP has now been convening for more than a year, and they are making progress in their review. The panel consists of devotee scholars and editors who were nominated and approved by both the GBC and BBT, including Bhakti Vijnana Goswami, Bhanu Swami, Kalachandji Dasa, Krishna Kshetra Swami, Krishnarupa Devi Dasi, Radhika Ramana Dasa, and Keshava Bharati Dasa Goswami.
The ERP’s first order of business was to compile a set of principles and guidelines by which they could effectively conduct their review. Some of these guidelines include being “conservative and cautious” about any editing done after Çréla Prabhupäda’s lifetime, not modifying his statements due to changing scientific or social views, but correcting “straightforward errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and phrasing for force and clarity,” and also rectifying “mistakes introduced into his books by a prior editor, proofreader, transcriber, typist, or designer.”
Inquisitive readers are invited to see the ERP’s full paper, “Editorial Principles”.
Guided by these principles, the ERP will consider each revision that has been made to Srila Prabhupada’s books and propose to either accept or remove the revision. All their recommendations will be made by consensus. Once the ERP’s work is complete, they will submit their suggestions to the BBT Editorial Board for review and implementation.
This should effectively put to rest the longstanding “book changes controversy,” which has unfortunately generated division and offensive discourse within ISKCON. The BBT apologizes for any lack of clarity which may have inadvertently contributed to this controversy.
Let’s put differences aside and work collaboratively and tirelessly to place a set of Çréla Prabhupäda’s books in every home in the world, and, more importantly, to deeply imbibe his teachings within our own hearts.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/book-changes-controversy-coming-to-a-close/
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