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This delightful slimline NRSV New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs was first published back in July of 2003 by Cambridge University Press. It comes in a number of different covers, the one I have is the burgundy imitation leather. This is truly a slimline\thinline Bible, which easily fits into a bag, purse, or pocket. Its dimensions are 6.9 x 3.5 x 0.6 inches with a weight of around 3 ounces. What is most attractive about this Bible is the single-column format, which make reading this slimline Bible quite enjoyable for its size. The imitation cover is very flexible, enhanced in durability by its sewn binding. This is the kind of Bible you can take somewhere and not worry about it getting bent or ruined in any way. It is so small and thin that it will fit into any situation. Other than the NRSV standard To the Reader essay by Metzger, this Bible does not contain additional features other than the Biblical text, but for its size, that is OK with me. The Psalms and Proverbs are placed before the New Testament.
From Cambridge:
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The New Revised Standard Version takes full advantage of recent scholarship and is widely used in academic circles as well as in mainline churches. This attractive and affordable book contains the NRSV New Testament together with the Psalms. The black-letter text is set in a clear but compact font, in one column with section headings. Presented in a format like that of a slim pocket diary, the book will fit easily into a pocket or purse. It is beautifully produced, printed on Bible paper, and Smyth-sewn for utility and durability. It has a burgundy imitation leather cover, giving a very flexible feel, and it includes a presentation page. 
12 comments:
I had some great pocket Bibles during my Protestant days. The best were the ones that would actually fit in my pocket! Foremost of all, was the KJV NT and Psalms from Thomas Nelson: 4 ¼” x 2 ¾” x ½”! Of course, it would end up getting slightly bent on the corner and the spine from being in my pocket. I also had, at one time, a similar sized NIV and slightly bigger ESV, but I think both of these got ruined in the rain.
World Bible Publishers also had some great pocket Bibles, and I had two of these: a ’95 NASB and a KJV. These had the entire Bible (minus Deuteros), a zippered cover, and were only 4 ½” x 3” x ¾”! These Bibles also fit in my front or back pocket, but the font is small enough that some might need to use one of those magnifying bookmarks.
I have been keeping an eye out for a similar pocket Catholic Bible… but there is not much available. The closest thing I have found is the Confraternity NT from Scepter Publishers, which is the same size as the World Bibles mentioned above. I carried this one around for a while, but I found I was going to damage it more than I was going to use it, considering how much I paid for it to be shipped to me in a map tube from Scepter.
Regarding pocket Bibles, in general I used them more as a Protestant, and I will explain why. As a Protestant, I was inclined to use proof texting in evangelization, and having a copy of the Bible to point at word for word helped a lot. Nowadays, as a Catholic, my evangelization efforts go a bit deeper, and in general, involve sharing truth and listening (not necessarily in that order.) Sometimes I share specific Scriptures, but most often, from memory. If a person is familiar at all with the Bible, they usually don’t need to actually see a Bible as “proof.”
Don’t get me wrong, I almost always have a hard copy of the Bible with me. I normally carry a small backpack to work and classes at Church, and I have not only the Bible but the Catechism as well. Perhaps one day I will have a smart phone, and I can have all of this in my pocket!
It is a little bigger (6 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 3/4) but I like the Ignatius RSV-2CE NT and Psalms. It uses the same size font (9) as in the regular size RSV-2CE Bible and though the NT portion of this Bible is in double column print, the Psalms are in single column and are placed after the NT. And in bonded leather with two ribbon markers in only costs $16-$19.95
With the advent of smart phones, I wonder if the market for compact Bibles and NTs will slowly dwindle away - I hope not!
How interesting that you should post this Timothy as I ordered and received exactly this edition on Friday.
I have decided to return it. Why?
It is not bible paper as advertised. It is thin but not bible-paper thin. Unlike its black imitation leather cousin; the paper is white-white not a nice readable just-off-white, the pages are square cut not rounded and there is no gilding. Also unlike its cousin there is no ribbon - no ribbon! What were they thinking?
The font is the same but it is set lighter, noticeably so. Whether this is simply a result of varied print runs not, who can say?
I had bought this one as a gift for my wife but I will get her a copy like my black imitation leather one after Christmas.
I own the RSV-CE 2d NT&P as well and vastly prefer the NRSV in terms of weight, font setting (same size but the setting is cleaner to my eye), overall dimension and of course, the translation itself works for me.
Others commented on bibles on smart devices and the demise of the pocket bible . . . I did the smart phone app thing and I have returned to print. I love the book in the hand and I especially prefer and old fashioned codex model in hand when before the Lord at Adoration. :-)
P.S. I didn't notice if you mentioned if the copy you review is Anglicized but both the black and the burgundy editions I have seen, happily (for me) are Anglicized.
It is the plain old American English edition. ;)
Wink back and a Blessed end of Advent and beginning of Christmas to you and yours.
Timothy, my understanding is that all of the Cambridge NRSV slimline NT + Psalms editions are Anglicized.
The copyright does not mention it being the anglicized version and it also does not include the preface for the anglicized. If I get a chance, I'll compare some verses
Tim, an easy test (and one appropriate for December 25th): look at Matthew 2:2-6. The US version uses standard US quotation punctuation: double quotes on the outside, single quotes for "quotes in quotes." Thus there is a double quote mark at Matthew 2:2 (“Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage”) and a single quote mark at Matthew 2:6 (‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’)
The Anglicized version uses exactly the opposite convention -- a single quote mark at Matthew 2:2 and a double quote mark at Matthew 2:6.
I checked online, and it seems that the Cambridge version is, indeed, Anglicized.
It is the American version then. Merry Christmas!
My only complaint with the Ignatius RSV-2CE NT is that the NT portion is not single-column. If it were, it would be a huge improvement and I'd use it more often than and do now.
Michael P.
Where can you purchase this Bible?
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