About Aperto

What is Aperto?

Aperto is an open-source Bible translation project written for modern readers—whether you're a lifelong believer wanting fresh eyes on familiar texts, or a sceptic curious what these ancient texts actually say.

The name comes from Latin 'apertus': open, accessible, unconcealed. It's inspired by Luke 24:32, where the disciples say their hearts burned within them as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them.

Our Philosophy

For Believers and Sceptics

We write for both—people deeply rooted in faith seeking fresh perspective, and people exploring from the outside. Whether you've spent your whole life in church or never stepped inside one, you're welcome here.

Ecumenical and Intersectional

Our approach integrates Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Pentecostal scholarship fairly—not flattened into one tradition. We also engage with feminist, liberationist, and historical-critical readings, aware of how translations have historically been used to both liberate and harm.

Accessible Without Dumbing Down

Contemporary language that reads like modern literature. No religious jargon, no insider vocabulary—just the text, alive and direct. Honest footnotes that make complexity accessible rather than hidden.

Multimedia First

Audio Bible, podcasts, original songs, and contemplative practices. Meeting people where they are, not just where they ought to be.

Radically Open

CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Everything—translation, exegesis, songs—is free to use, adapt, and build upon. Because Scripture belongs to everyone.

Available Languages

Currently available in five languages, each culturally adapted for its context:

English Deutsch Français Polski Türkçe

Licence

Aperto is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). This means:

  • You may share and redistribute the material in any format
  • You may remix, transform, and build upon the material
  • You must give appropriate credit
  • You must distribute under the same licence if you remix or build upon

The Team

Aperto is a community project based in Berlin. We're translators, musicians, designers, and developers committed to making Scripture accessible to everyone.