Well, I am back from my wedding and honeymoon, both of which were truly wonderful. Many thanks to everyone who helped to make these past two weeks most memorable and Christ-centered. Our time in Italy was filled with good food, including lots of pizza and gelato, as well as a Papal audience, sight-seeing, lots of walking, Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and side trips to Florence, Orvieto, and Assisi.
With that being said, I wonder if I had time to check out any bookstores in Rome? Hmm..... Well of course I did! How could I not? While I didn't spend all of the wedding money on Catholic Bible related material, I did purchase some really nice pamphlets from the CTS, as well as picking up a standard size copy of the CTS New Catholic Bible. While I have blogged on this Bible before, it was the miniature travel edition which I reviewed. At the time, I found the very small size of the CTS Bible to be tough on the eyes, but I have spent some time with the larger presentation edition over the past two weeks, so don't be surprised if I blog about it again in the very near future. Perhaps give it the proper review that it deserves.
I hope all of you are doing well. If there has been any news in the Catholic Bible world which I have missed, please let me know.
"Veni, Vidi, Vici"
Hi Timothy,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your wedding and honeymoon, you couldn't of gone to a better place!
I have enjoyed your blog for some time now!
I'm from England and own a CTS Bible, I have purchased the Ignatius study bible books about 6months ago (I know I should of waited for the the full NT Bible)
Anyway I have just started Matthew and have been using my CTS for cossrefence to the OT and even NT
My question is should I also buy the Ignatius Bible to complement this study or would it be ok for me to carry on using my CTS Bible.
Also If I should get an Ignatius Bible, which edition?
Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Tony.
Tony,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and the kind words. I always appreciate hearing from those who read the blog.
As to you your question, I would certainly recommend getting the Ignatius Study Bible. However, I would hold off until the Ignatius Study Bible New Testament is published, which should be next year. Hopefully, they will soon follow with the entire Bible, because it has certainly taken a long time to get this project completed! :)
Same goes for the purchase of the Ignatius Bible. At this point, you might as well wait until the entire Ignatius Study Bible is complete and published, which will have the RSV-2CE text.
I tend to like using multiple translations and have not settled down on using one exclusively. Over the past few years, I have begun to appreciate the qualities of the various Catholic Bible versions on the market, including the RSV, NRSV, JB, NJB, and NAB. So, I think whatever Catholic translation you decide to go with is fine, as long as you recognize that there is no perfect translation, as well as it's strengths and weaknesses.
How do you like using the CTS Bible? Like I mentioned, I just picked up the presentation edition while in Rome. There are many things I like about the Bible, including it's size, study tools, the use of the Grail Psalms, and the information found in the appendices. However, I tend to like a more formal translation like the NRSV, and I have heard that there are people working on an adapted form of the NRSV? for use in the liturgy in the UK, like they did in Canada. So I wonder how useful the JB will be in five years? But with that said, I have really enjoyed reading from the CTS Bible over the past couple of weeks. Translation aside, I really like the format of the Bible.
I enjoy reading the CTS Bible, tbh its the only Bible I have been reading from as I fell away from our faith while in my teens and early 20's, I'm 24 now and its only the last 3 years Ive come back home.
ReplyDeleteI have already got all the Ignatius Study Books, I got these about 6months ago but never got round to using them until now!
I didn't know then that the full NT would be published! never mind....
So would I be better off buying the Ignatius Bible to complement the study books for cross-ref or would my CTS Bible be OK?
Im also a little confused when using the study books, I'd really be grateful of your help.
Should I read a full chapter 1st then the commentary?
Or a verse or two, then the relevant commentary for that verse.
Also with regards to cross-reference, In the commentary every time it refers to a Bible passage should I check that out or should I only check the ones which have (cf.) before them?
Any help you can give me with getting the best of these study books would be really appreciated,
Thanks. Tony.
Tony,
ReplyDeleteI think you should just wait until the entire one-volume Igantius Study Bible is published. Continue to use your CTS Bible, while refering to the individual Ignatius books, which have the RSV text and commentary, when you are studying or praying a particular passage.
In regards to how to study the Bible, it is really up to you. I think it is always a good thing to first read through a particular passage or chapter first, without refering to cross-references or commentary. After you get a handle as to what is going on, then refer to the commentary in the CTS and Ignatius study Bible. They will point out some important facts, both historical and theological which may help you to get a richer understaning of the passage.
And yes, after you do this you might want to refer to the cross-references. In particular, when a New Testament author is directly referencing from the Old Testament, it is important to get the overall context of that quote in the OT. The classic example of this is when Jesus is on the cross and he quotes the Psalm 22 "My God, My God why have you forsaken me." It is important, in that instance, to check out all of Psalm 22 to get the full meaning of why Jesus says it.
Hope that was helpful.
HI Timothy,
ReplyDeleteThat has really helped, I will begin to study this way and see how I get on!
I'm really looking forward to your new review on the CTS presentation edition. Any time frame on this?
Thanks and God Bless,
Tony.
Tony,
ReplyDeleteSometime this week I hope. I am just getting back to work and have to get caught up on a bunch of things. So, probably later in the week.
Hi Timothy,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on ur wedding. I hope ur married life goes great.
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All the best.