Review: CSSI Bible RSV-CE

When the Catholic Scripture Study International Study Bible debuted late last year, all 800 copies sold out within a few weeks. Since then, I had been hoping to get a copy at some point in order to review it, however, I was unable to until this week. So, thanks to the fine people at Saint Benedict Press for sending along a review copy. For those interested, this edition is now available for purchase. I do not know how many were printed, so if you find yourself really liking it, you may want to order one soon.

The production of the CSSI Bible is a joint venture between Saint Benedict Press and Catholic Scripture Study International. It includes: “This high-quality RSV-CE Bible seamlessly integrates Sacred Scripture with extensive study materials and reference guides. Includes 76 full color pages, Holy Land maps marked with significant events and places, and extensive biblical apologetics and topical indexes, all beautifully bound in our Classic Black Bonded Leather with multiple ribbon markers, gold edges and beautiful foil stamped cover.” To see some sample pages, you can go here.

In many ways, this is a great apologetics study Bible. After spending some time with it, I would rate it higher than its closest rival, the New Catholic Answer Bible. This is due not only to the CSSI Bible’s use of the RSV-CE, but also the study material is more substantial and organized. If, however, you are looking for a study Bible comparable to the Catholic Study Bible or the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, then this is not what you are looking for. I hope to explain what I mean below.

There are many positive features of the CSSI Bible. As a matter of fact, some features which I thought I wouldn’t like, surprisingly I found to be quite good. For example, when I read that this Bible was large print, I was initially unsure how I would like it. Yet, after spending a few days reading from it, I have found it to be very readable and inviting. This all comes down to personal preference to be sure, but I was pleasantly surprised. Anyone who has previously purchased a Saint Benedict Press large print Bible will have a good idea of what each pages looks like.

Another feature which I thought would be a distraction was the use of Bible inserts, instead of integrating the study material directly into the text. While I still feel that having the additional study material placed in the text is the best option, Saint Benedict Press has done a really nice job making sure that the inserts are positioned well without being an annoyance to page turning or laying the Bible out flat. What I mean by that is I have an old edition of the St. Joseph NAB, which while having some lovely inserts that include maps, photos and devotionals, always seemed to be more obtrusive than helpful, particularly when flipping through the Bible. From just looking at the CSSI Bible when it is closed, you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell that there are 76 full color pages included throughout the text. The glossy paper that these inserts are printed on is very thin.

The real jewel of this study Bible is the apologetics content found in the 76 full color pages. Most notably, the eight pages of “Catholic Apologetics Bible Verses” I have found to be quite helpful. This section not only covers issues ranging from “Anointing of the Sick” to “Works” but does so with both biblical citations as well as direct quotations from the Fathers of the Church. A very nice touch! In addition, the editors placed “*” by verses that are used to challenge Catholic teachings. This section, combined with the “Topical Index” in the appendix, makes looking up particular passages related to apologetics and doctrine a breeze. (By the way, I am teaching a Catholic Apologetics course at the high school next Spring for our Seniors, so I am very excited that this Bible has these features.)

I should also mention that the remaining inserts are scattered throughout the Bible and include a couple of Bible maps, timelines, CUF Faith Facts, and some inspirational images of Biblical characters and events. I have found the Faith Facts to be the most helpful of the bunch. You can preview some of them at the CUF site here. One Faith Fact that I would like to point out is entitled “Making Sense Out of Scripture: The Four Best Kept Secrets in Biblical Studies Today”, which does a fantastic job explaining the Four Senses of Scripture as taught in Dei Verbum and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This should be a tool that is present in every Catholic Bible.

Two more positive features that are most welcome are the inclusion of three Bible ribbons and the Sunday/Weekday Mass readings. Both are a definite must for any Catholic study Bible.

With all the praise that I have just given, there are a few things that I feel are missing from the CSSI Bible. Most prominently, any future edition really needs to have cross-references or at the very least a list of Old Testament references in the New Testament in the appendix. (The HarperCollins Study Bible does this.) Any Bible that is named a “study Bible” should have them. I am sure that this is something that Saint Benedict Press is looking into for future editions. (Also, a concordance would be helpful, but as I have mentioned in previous reviews, it is not a deal breaker for me.)

Secondly, while I found the bonded leather cover to be fairly flexible, perhaps future editions could come in their genuine leather or ultrasoft covers. This is particularly the case when the price tag for this Bible is basically $70.00!

My last negative critique would be that a few more maps would be helpful. I think including maps which show the route of the exodus, the Davidic kingdom, the layout of Jerusalem, and the journeys of Paul would be important additions and would compliment the maps already included.

In conclusion, this is a top-notch apologetics study Bible, even with the missing cross-references. If you are looking for an apologetics Bible, particularly utilizing the RSV-CE, look no further. In many ways, this could be a wonderful compliment to the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible RSV-2CE.

***Again, thanks to Saint Benedict Press for the review copy***

Scott Hahn: Biblical Scholar, Author, and Guitar Hero?

More on Isaiah 7:14

Thank you to reader Keith for alerting me to this post from the new Speaking of Scripture blog. The post is by Dr. Peter Williamson, co-editor of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. In his post, he discusses the recent news of the NABRE's decision to go with "young woman" over "virgin" for Isaiah 7:14. It is worth a read through.

Mondays with Verbum Domini

We continue our reading of Verbum Domini with a section from paragraph 39 on the unity of the Holy Scriptures: The Bible’s intrinsic unity In the passage from letter to spirit, we also learn, within the Church’s great tradition, to see the unity of all Scripture, grounded in the unity of God’s word, which challenges our life and constantly calls us to conversion. Here the words of Hugh of Saint Victor remain a sure guide: “All divine Scripture is one book, and this one book is Christ, speaks of Christ and finds its fulfilment in Christ”. Viewed in purely historical or literary terms, of course, the Bible is not a single book, but a collection of literary texts composed over the course of a thousand years or more, and its individual books are not easily seen to possess an interior unity; instead, we see clear inconsistencies between them. This was already the case with the Bible of Israel, which we Christians call the Old Testament. It is all the more so when, as Christians, we relate the New Testament and its writings as a kind of hermeneutical key to Israel’s Bible, thus interpreting the latter as a path to Christ. The New Testament generally does not employ the term “Scripture” (cf. Rom 4:3; 1 Pet 2:6), but rather “the Scriptures” (cf. Mt 21:43; Jn 5:39; Rom 1:2; 2 Pet 3:16), which nonetheless are seen in their entirety as the one word of God addressed to us. This makes it clear that the person of Christ gives unity to all the “Scriptures” in relation to the one “Word”. In this way we can understand the words of Number 12 of the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, which point to the internal unity of the entire Bible as a decisive criterion for a correct hermeneutic of faith.

NABRE: Isaiah 9:5(6)

Spurred on by a comment in a previous post, I have decided to post Isaiah 9:5 from the NABRE. This verse is notable, since some had predicted that the rendering would be changed from the original NAB. The original read:

"For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:5 (NAB)

In some quarters, this translation was heavily criticized.

Yet, the NABRE translators maintained this rendition of Isaiah 9:5:

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rest. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:5 (NABRE)

Looking at the NABRE note for Isaiah 9:5, there is no reason given as to why the translators maintained almost exactly the original NAB's rendition. Many English translations follow the more traditional: "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" as found in the NRSV. (The RSV and NRSV list this as Isaiah 9:6).

So, what are your thoughts? I cannot remember precisely, but I seem to have come across a similar rendering to the NAB(RE) in a commentary on Isaiah. Perhaps it was in the Anchor Bible volume on Isaiah 1-39. I am away from my library so I cannot verify at the moment. Perhaps one of our Hebrew and Greek scholars can enlighten us on this?

A Look Inside the Oxford NABRE

You are now able to get an "inside look" of the Oxford University Press NABRE Compact. All you need to do is go to the Amazon site to see some sample pages. Enjoy!

NABRE: Jeremiah 31:31-34

We continue our look at the NABRE with an important passage from Jeremiah 31:

"See, days are coming--oracle of the LORD--when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke my covenant, though I was their master--oracle of the LORD. But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days--oracle of the Lord. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. They will no longer teach their friends and relatives, "Know the LORD!" Everyone, from least to greatest, shall know me--oracle of the LORD--for I will forgive their iniquity and no longer remember their sin."

Original NAB:
“The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they broke my covenant and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer will they have need to teach their friends and kinsmen how to know the LORD. All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.”

Habemus Episcopi!

I am happy to relay the news that the Holy Father has named two new auxiliary bishops here in the Archdiocese of Detroit. The press release, from the Archdiocese of Detroit, states:

"Pope Benedict XVI has named two local priests, Monsignor Donald Hanchon and Father Michael Byrnes, to be auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Bishop-designates Hanchon and Byrnes will be ordained as the archdiocese's 26th and 27th auxiliary bishops, respectively, on May 5 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. Auxiliary bishops aid the archbishop in the pastoral care of the archdiocese."

More on this, see the article by the Michigan Catholic.

Knox Bible Review

Reader Shazamaholic has done a very nice review on his blog of the Knox Bible that he won during a contest I had on this blog last year. So check it out!

Mondays with Verbum Domini

We will skip ahead this week to the important section concerning the Literal and Spiritual Senses of Scripture. You can find this in paragraph 37:



Literal sense and spiritual sense

A significant contribution to the recovery of an adequate scriptural hermeneutic, as the synodal assembly stated, can also come from renewed attention to the Fathers of the Church and their exegetical approach. The Church Fathers present a theology that still has great value today because at its heart is the study of sacred Scripture as a whole. Indeed, the Fathers are primarily and essentially “commentators on sacred Scripture”. Their example can “teach modern exegetes a truly religious approach to sacred Scripture, and likewise an interpretation that is constantly attuned to the criterion of communion with the experience of the Church, which journeys through history under the guidance of the Holy Spirit”.

While obviously lacking the philological and historical resources at the disposal of modern exegesis, the patristic and mediaeval tradition could recognize the different senses of Scripture, beginning with the literal sense, namely, “the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation”. Saint Thomas of Aquinas, for example, states that “all the senses of sacred Scripture are based on the literal sense”. It is necessary, however, to remember that in patristic and medieval times every form of exegesis, including the literal form, was carried out on the basis of faith, without there necessarily being any distinction between the literal sense and the spiritual sense. One may mention in this regard the medieval couplet which expresses the relationship between the different senses of Scripture:

“Littera gesta docet, quid credas allegoria,Moralis quid agas, quo tendas anagogia. The letter speaks of deeds; allegory about the faith;The moral about our actions; anagogy about our destiny”.

Here we can note the unity and interrelation between the literal sense and the spiritual sense, which for its part is subdivided into three senses which deal with the contents of the faith, with the moral life and with our eschatological aspiration.

In a word, while acknowledging the validity and necessity, as well as the limits, of the historical-critical method, we learn from the Fathers that exegesis “is truly faithful to the proper intention of biblical texts when it goes not only to the heart of their formulation to find the reality of faith there expressed, but also seeks to link this reality to the experience of faith in our present world”. Only against this horizon can we recognize that the word of God is living and addressed to each of us in the here and now of our lives. In this sense, the Pontifical Biblical Commission’s definition of the spiritual sense, as understood by Christian faith, remains fully valid: it is “the meaning expressed by the biblical texts when read, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, in the context of the paschal mystery of Christ and of the new life which flows from it. This context truly exists. In it the New Testament recognizes the fulfilment of the Scriptures. It is therefore quite acceptable to re-read the Scriptures in the light of this new context, which is that of life in the Spirit”.

NIV 2011 Controversy

Theophrastus, commenting on another blog, pointed out an interesting AP article concerning the new edition of the NIV. This is nothing new, really, for those who have been following the NIV/TNIV/NIV2011 debate, but some of you might find it an interesting read.

NABRE: Genesis 3:15-16

One of the verses which which will likely get a fair amount of discussion is Genesis 3:15-16, the protoevangelium. Here are these verses, as translated by the NABRE, followed by the note:

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel."

**They will strike...at their heel: the antecedent for "they" and "their" is the collective noun "offspring," is, all the descendants of the woman. Christian tradition has seen in this passage, however, more than unending hostility between snakes and human beings. The snake was identified with the devil (Wis 2:24, Jn 8:44, Rev 12:9, Rev 20:2), whose eventual defeat seemed implied in the verse. Because "the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil" (1 Jn 3:8), the passage was understood as the first promise of a redeemer for fallen humankind, the protoevangelium. Irenaeus of Lyon (ca. AD 130-200), in his Against Heresies 5.21.1, followed by several other Fathers of the Church, interpreted the verse as referring to Christ, and cited Gal 3:19 and 4:4, to support the reference. Another interpretive translation is ipsa, "she", and is reflected in Jerome's Vulgate. "She" was thought to refer to Mary, the mother of the messiah. In Christian art Mary is sometimes depicted with her foot on the head of the serpent."**

A couple of questions:

1) Is using "they, their" justified in this translation?

2) Do you think the note does a good job with explaining and interpreting Gen. 3:15-16?

3) Does any other English translation follow the NABRE on this one?

By the way, I did choose this verse in honor of St. Patrick, who drove the snakes out of Ireland. Also note, that in the NABRE, they translated the Hebrew word nachash as snake. The previous NAB went with serpent.

Lenten Contest

Moving on, I have decided to have a Lenten contest on this blog. This time, the winner will receive a brand new copy of Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection from Ignatius Press. The book is free, as well as the shipping.

Here are the rules:

1) If you have a blog, please advertise this contest on your site. (If you don't, you can still enter the contest.)

2) This contest is only for people who are in the United States or Canada. (Again, overseas shipping costs are a bit too high for me right now. Sorry.)

3) The question you need to answer in the comment box:
What is your favorite book of the Bible and why?

(All responses should be limited to two-four sentences, so be concise.)

4) The contest ends on Saturday at 11:59PM EST.

5) One entry per person.

6) I will announce the winner in the comment box on Sunday or Monday. The winner can then email me their address.

Comments

First off, thank you to all who have taken the time over the past two plus years to read and comment on this blog. It has been a joy being able to discuss all things Catholic Bibles. I hope this little, insignificant blog has been helpful in some way.

Unfortunately, as of late, there have been a number of comments made by people who at best just want to cause problems, or at worst are bigoted against various groups, as well as the Church. So, I have decided to begin moderating all comments. I apologize if this proves to be an incovenience to some. I will do my very best at posting any comments made in a timely manner.

Review: Saint Benedict Press NABRE Paperback

Let me start by saying that this review is going to focus on the Saint Benedict Press NABRE paperback, itself, and not the actual NABRE translation. Translation issues have been discussed in the past already and we will continue to do so in the coming days, once more people are able to get their hands on a copy.

So, what do I think of this edition? Well, being that this is the first edition of the NABRE that I have set my eyes upon, I think that Saint Benedict Press has done a really nice job. Immediately upon opening this Bible from the package it was shipped in, the beautiful cover art of "Pentecost" by Titian stands out. This cover image was chosen on the Saint Benedict Press Facebook site, where people could vote for one of three cover options. I prefered the "The Baptism of Christ" by Fra Angelico, but this one will do. The cover material is both sturdy and glossy. The overall size of this Bible would probably be classified as medium, although I would say that it is slightly smaller than most medium Bibles. This is to its benefit, making it more portable, without being compact.

When you open up the Bible, those of you who have purchased one of the RSV-CE’s that Saint Benedict Press has published will notice that the page format is very similar. For those of you who haven’t, you can go here to see what I am talking about. I find the print to be very readable. It is nice to see the NAB in a different font and type than they are found in almost all other NAB editions on the market. The text is on the top half of each page, with the textual notes and cross-references at the bottom. Depending on what book you are reading, for example Genesis, the textual notes at times take up half the page. One other unique feature of the layout is that the words of Christ are in red. This is something that Saint Benedict Press does with many of their Bibles. I am neither pro or against red letter Bibles, so that is up to the individual Bible reader to decide.

Included with the paperback edition is a nice essay on the “Succession of the Popes” followed by a list of the Popes, which is at the front of the Bible. I would have liked to have a picture of Pope Benedict inserted there, since he is in many ways one of our most Biblically literate Popes in history. Following the Book of Revelation, there is a ‘Calendar of Readings’ for both Sundays and weekdays. Why any Catholic Bible wouldn’t include this is beyond me. If you want to read the Scriptures with the mind of the Church, including the Lectionary readings is a must. This ‘Calendar of Readings’ section is nicely ordered and easy to use. Finally, there are a few pages in the back devoted to popular Catholic prayers, including traditional prayers, prayers to the Holy Spirit, a morning offering, and prayers to Our Lady and the Saints. All in all, a nice way to end this Bible.

A couple of miscellaneous points:

**Nice to see that this Bible was printed in North America. Canada to be exact.

**Would have liked to have seen some Bible maps or some of the nice art work that are included in some of the other editions by Saint Benedict Press, however I understand if there were reasons why they didn’t include them in the paperback edition. I ordered the Ultrasoft edition of the NABRE, as well, so I hope these omissions may be included in that version.

Overall, anyone who is looking for a basic, paperback edition of the NABRE should probably pick up this edition by Saint Benedict Press. (If you want an NABRE right now, this edition is the easiest to get a hold of.) I continue to be impressed by the product Saint Benedict Press continues to put out. I think they are the only Catholic publisher who publishers their own editions of the Douay-Rheims, RSV-CE, and the NABRE. Keep up the great work!

Thank you to the fine people at Saint Benedict Press for sending me a review copy.

I Have A NABRE

Today I kindly received a review copy of the paperback NABRE by Saint Benedict Press. I will offer a review of that edition in the coming days. Until then, if you are interested in finding out a verse rendering in the NABRE let me know.

A Litany for Japan

I read this beautiful litany at the website Catholic Lane, and so I reprint it below as we continue to pray for the people of Japan.

Our Lady of Akita, pray for us.
St. Peter Baptist, martyr and patron of Japan, pray for us.
St. Francis Xavier, patron of Japan, pray for us.
St. Paul Miki, martyr, pray for us.
St. Anthony Dainan, martyr, pray for us.
St. Anthony Ishida, martyr, pray for us.
St. Francis Nagasaki, martyr, pray for us.
St. Francis of St. Bonaventure, martyr, pray for us.
St. Gabriel Jusuke, martyr, pray for us.
St. Gaius Francis, martyr, pray for us.
St. James Kisai, martyr, pray for us.
St. Joachim Sakachibara, martyr, pray for us.
St. John Kokumbuku, martyr, pray for us.
St. John Soan de Goto, martyr, pray for us.
St. Leonard Kimura, martyr, pray for us.
St. Leo Tanaka, martyr, pray for us.
St. Louis Ibachi, martyr, pray for us.
St. Louise of Omura, martyr, pray for us.
St. Matthias of Meako, martyr, pray for us.
St. Michael Kozaki, martyr, pray for us.
St. Paul Aybara, martyr, pray for us.
St. Peter Shukeshiko, martyr, pray for us.
St. Romanus Aybara, martyr, pray for us.
St. Thomas Danki, martyr, pray for us.
St. Thomas Kozaki, martyr, pray for us.
St. Vincent Kaun, martyr, pray for us.
Holy Martyrs of Japan, pray for us.

God our Father,
you guide everything in wisdom and love.
Accept the prayers we offer for the nation of Japan;
by the wisdom of their leaders and integrity of their citizens,
may their suffering be lessened,
may harmony and justice be restored
and may there be lasting prosperity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

New Catholic Answer Bible: NABRE Pre-sale

If you are a fan of Our Sunday Visitor's New Catholic Answer Bible, you can now pre-order the New Catholic Answer Bible with the NABRE for 35% off the list price at Amazon.com. The current price for the paperback edition is $25.83. It is scheduled for release at the end of March.

According to OSV:

What makes The New Catholic Answer Bible so unique is the answers to questions about Catholic beliefs and practices and their foundation in Scripture From Where Did the Bible Come From? and Are the Seven Sacraments in the Bible? to Are Catholics Born Again ? and Why Do Catholic Bibles Have Seventy-three Books?, these eighty-eight diverse topics answer tough questions Catholics are asked.

The New Catholic Answer Bible is perfect for those who want to:

---Learn more about the Catholic Faith
---Increase their knowledge of Scripture and deepen their appreciation for it
---Better respond when others ask them about the Catholic Church and its teachings

The New Catholic Answer Bible is a wonderful gift for a family member or friend who is in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) or has recently joined the Church.

Mondays with Verbum Domini

The Bible’s intrinsic unity

"In the passage from letter to spirit, we also learn, within the Church’s great tradition, to see the unity of all Scripture, grounded in the unity of God’s word, which challenges our life and constantly calls us to conversion. Here the words of Hugh of Saint Victor remain a sure guide: “All divine Scripture is one book, and this one book is Christ, speaks of Christ and finds its fulfilment in Christ”. Viewed in purely historical or literary terms, of course, the Bible is not a single book, but a collection of literary texts composed over the course of a thousand years or more, and its individual books are not easily seen to possess an interior unity; instead, we see clear inconsistencies between them. This was already the case with the Bible of Israel, which we Christians call the Old Testament. It is all the more so when, as Christians, we relate the New Testament and its writings as a kind of hermeneutical key to Israel’s Bible, thus interpreting the latter as a path to Christ. The New Testament generally does not employ the term “Scripture” (cf. Rom 4:3; 1 Pet 2:6), but rather “the Scriptures” (cf. Mt 21:43; Jn 5:39; Rom 1:2; 2 Pet 3:16), which nonetheless are seen in their entirety as the one word of God addressed to us.This makes it clear that the person of Christ gives unity to all the “Scriptures” in relation to the one “Word”. In this way we can understand the words of Number 12 of the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, which point to the internal unity of the entire Bible as a decisive criterion for a correct hermeneutic of faith."
(Verbum Domini 39)

NABRE Oxford

It appears that we will not see any of the new Oxford University Press editions of the NABRE until sometime in April.. An exact date in April has yet to be released. In other NABRE news, I hope to be getting a copy of the paperback NABRE by Saint Benedict Press on Monday. I will try and post some pictures as well as some initial thoughts on the translation and edition soon after.

Have a blessed first Sunday in the Holy season of Lent!

Psalm 130 for the People of Japan

"Out of the depths I call to you, LORD;
Lord, hear my cry!
May your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, LORD, keep account of sins,
Lord, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness
and so you are revered.
I wait for the LORD,
my soul waits
and I hope for his word.
My soul looks for the Lord
more than sentinels for daybreak.
More than sentinels for daybreak,
let Israel hope in the LORD,
For with the LORD is mercy,
with him is plenteous redemption,
And he will redeem Israel
from all its sins."

-Psalm 130 NABRE

Trailer: Jesus of Nazareth II

NABRE Editors and Collaborators

For a list of the collaborators and editors of the NABRE, including the re-revised Psalms, go here.

Anyone Have an NABRE?

Yesterday was the official publication date for the NABRE, but I have yet to receive a copy. I ordered two editions of the Oxford NABRE, the large print and compact, from Amazon.com and the ultra-soft NABRE directly from Saint Benedict Press. However, I have yet to receive any indication from either of them as to the status or expected shipping date. So, if you happen to get your hands on a copy, I'd love to hear what your first impressions are of it.

New Blog for CCSS

The editors of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture have recently started their own blog entitled: Speaking of Scripture. The purpose of this new blog is to have "conversation about the word of God in the life and mission of the Church by the authors of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture." So make sure to check it out!

(Thanks to reader Sharon for the link.)

Just in Time for Lent

Review: Collins NRSV-CE with Grail Psalms

Yesterday I received, from the UK, the recently released NRSV-CE with Grail Psalms. My order was placed through Amazon UK and took about a week to arrive. This edition is published by Collins and contains the NRSV-CE text and the original Grail Psalms. When I opened this Bible, I immediately had a feeling of familiarity as I flipped through the pages. Why? Well, the page format, type, and font is identical to the one used in the HarperCollins Catholic Gift Bible, which was released a few years back. The one major difference, however, is that there is a solid inch of space at the bottom of each page, presumably to allow for personal note taking. This edition also uses the same type of Bible paper as in the Catholic Gift Bible version, and appears to be of the same binding. The cover material is made of a very flexible leather-like material. The material is not as smooth as the one used for the Catholic Gift Bible. To be honest, I am not sure what the cover material actually is. One of the listings for this Bible said it was genuine leather, which it might very well be. If that is the case, then, I would say it is similar to the Saint Benedict Press genuine leather Bibles. The cover color is dark green.

The NRSV-CE with Grail Psalms has the standard NRSV text at the beginning, with the Grail Psalms placed at the back. Included with the Sacred Text is a concise concordance, information on the Lectionary, including the weekday and Sunday Mass readings, 6 black and white maps, and the always important Bible ribbon. But alas, the one thing that is missing, which as you all know continues to plague almost every edition of the NRSV, is, say it with me: “scriptural cross-references!” It was mentioned on a previous post that Collins plans to release a revised edition of this in the future, which would include the NRSV adaptions for the liturgy in the UK and the Revised Grail Psalms. It would be a great addition if in the future they included cross-references or at least a table of OT references in the NT, as found in the HarperCollins Study Bible.

Overall, this is a fine reading Bible. The size, while not being compact, does allow it to be fairly portable. If you love the original Psalms and the NRSV, there is no better Bible out there for you. The current price at Amazon UK is 22.50 pounds, which, with shipping, ended up costing me somewhere around 46 dollars US.

New NABRE Stuff

Yes, folks, we have arrived at NABRE release week! If you go to the USCCB website, the NABRE page is already beginning to be updated with information about the upcoming publishers of the NABRE, as well as an entire page on the new NABRE Penitential Psalms and the Suffering Servant Songs of Isaiah, articles, and an NABRE quiz. More to come later.

Guest Post: Theophrastus

Thank you to Theophrastus for the following information:

Amazon often has major sales on Catholic Bibles. A few months ago, I
pointed out that the excellent Oxford Catholic Comparative New
Testament was on sale for under $10.

Well, here is another fantastic bargain: Amazon is selling the New
Jerusalem Bible in the Standard Edition for $10 (list price $25) and the Full Edition for $20 (list price $50).

There is controversy over the NJB -- some people object to its use of
the English spelling of the tetragrammaton (now discouraged by the
Vatican) and it does have moderately inclusive language in parts.
Nonetheless, the NJB is a major translation and the extensive study
helps in the Full Edition will be useful to a broad variety of
Catholics. Personally, I ordered 2 copies of the Standard
Edition and 4 copies of the Full Edition.-- paying just
$100 for $250 worth of Bibles.

I notice that Amazon currently states that there are only 12 more
copies of the Full Edition in stock, so if this is something
you think you may be interested in, you may want to place an order
soon. (However, I've found that Amazon is sometimes able to get
additional bargain book stock in place.)

2011 seems to be the year of Catholic Bibles (the new NABRE edition is
coming out Wednesday, Harvard University Press is releasing a
scholarly new edition of the Douay-Rheims, a number of 400th
anniversary editions of the KJV featuring the Catholic
Deuterocanonical are coming out, the Common English Bible which
included Catholic participation is coming out, and the Ignatius
Catholic Study Bible New Testament is still warm off the press). But
I doubt you'll see a better Bible bargain than this soon.

Mondays with Verbum Domini

The selection for this week comes from paragraph 34, which focuses on the Second Vatican Council's Biblical hermeneutic:

The Council’s biblical hermeneutic: a directive to be appropriated

Against this background, one can better appreciate the great principles of interpretation proper to Catholic exegesis set forth by the Second Vatican Council, especially in the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum: “Seeing that, in sacred Scripture, God speaks through human beings in human fashion, it follows that the interpreters of sacred Scripture, if they are to ascertain what God has wished to communicate to us, should carefully search out the meaning which the sacred writers really had in mind, that meaning which God had thought well to manifest through the medium of their words”.On the one hand, the Council emphasizes the study of literary genres and historical context as basic elements for understanding the meaning intended by the sacred author. On the other hand, since Scripture must be interpreted in the same Spirit in which it was written, the Dogmatic Constitution indicates three fundamental criteria for an appreciation of the divine dimension of the Bible: 1) the text must be interpreted with attention to the unity of the whole of Scripture; nowadays this is called canonical exegesis; 2) account is be taken of the living Tradition of the whole Church; and, finally, 3) respect must be shown for the analogy of faith. “Only where both methodological levels, the historical-critical and the theological, are respected, can one speak of a theological exegesis, an exegesis worthy of this book”.

The Synod Fathers rightly stated that the positive fruit yielded by the use of modern historical-critical research is undeniable. While today’s academic exegesis, including that of Catholic scholars, is highly competent in the field of historical-critical methodology and its latest developments, it must be said that comparable attention need to be paid to the theological dimension of the biblical texts, so that they can be more deeply understood in accordance with the three elements indicated by the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum.

The Catholic Bibles Blog Theme Song

Thanks to reader Paolo for this fantastic theme song! It is simply awesome!

"Jesus of Nazareth II" is Coming!

Since many of the discussions on this blog have been focusing on the upcoming NABRE release, I almost forgot that Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection is coming out next week. There has been a lot of news recently surrounding the various excerpts which have been released. Ignatius Press, the publisher of this book, has put together a website with information about the book, which you can view here. If there is interest, unlike my previous attempt at Volume 1, I would like to have a weekly discussion on the book. If you are interested, and would be able to get the book pretty soon after the release date, just RSVP in the comments.

Scott Hahn and Verbum Domini

NABRE Sneak Peek: Daniel 7

The NABRE Facebook site has released Daniel 7, which you can read here. Since the NAB New Testament was revised in the mid-late 80's, a number of translations that followed, like the NRSV, decided to translated the "Son of Man" passages in the Old Testament as "mortal" or something similar. Fortunately, the NABRE has maintained the traditional rendering of "Son of Man". In addition, the NABRE has changed "the Ancient One" to the more traditional "Ancient of Days." Make sure to look at the notes as well, since they have been updated a bit.

NABRE Article in USA Today

Indeed! The NABRE has made it to the print section of the USA Today. You can read that article, with a very interesting discussion of "booty", right here. Whatever you think of the NABRE, at least there is an effort being made to promote it in the media.

CEB Scripture Comparison: Romans 3:25

The Common English Bible New Testament was released last year. This ecumenical translation, which includes some Catholics, intends to provide a fresh rendering of the Scriptures which are "accurate, refreshing, and accessible." We have had a few discussions about some of the different renderings, most notably "the Human One" for "Son of Man", but that has been pretty much it. I recently received an email from the CEB site, listing a unique comparison from Romans, which I am going to present to you below for your thoughts:

Scripture Comparisons
Romans 3:25

Common English Bible (CEB)
25 Through his faithfulness, God displayed Jesus as the place of sacrifice where mercy is found by means of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness in passing over sins that happened before,

New International Version, ©2010 (NIV)
25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed;

King James Version (KJV)
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

New American Bible (NABRE)
25 Whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed,