Update on ICSB

Thanks to reader Corey for including me in his email correspondence with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press.

Dear Tim:

As you know I have been in communication with Mr. Mark Brumley at Ignatius Press about the forthcoming “complete” OT/NT Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.  In light of the size of the current single volume NT (Ignatius Press, 2010), I asked Mr. Brumley what the plans are at Ignatius regarding whether the final product with be a single or multi-volume “Bible”, publishing expectations, etc.  

His response to my questions were as follows in two separate emails:

1.       Regarding single vs. multi-volume plans and material quality:

“Please know that the intention of Ignatius Press is that this work will be published as a single volume.  When the Old Testament is completed, the entire work of the Old and Testaments will be published on Bible paper, which is much thinner. The present New Testament annotated text is within the page count range for New Testament texts for Study Bibles. The Old Testament texts will be as well. In the end, we will have a single volume work that reflects the annotations, essays, and other elements of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible pieces published in their individual formats. The work will also feature some additional elements.”

2.       Regarding expected publication date, with Mr. Brumley being very clear that the following should not be regarded as set-in-stone with respect to timeline:

“I am hoping we will have the published version of the complete, single volume Bible available by Fall of 2015 or Spring of 2016.  (That's my hope: Curtis Mitch may have another opinion; he's the one doing so much of the work at this point.)

We're finishing up the annotations for the balance of the OT--most of which should be done this year or early next, I think. Then we have to set the pages and compile everything. We may have to revise some of the existing books better to integrate the notes and cross references--we'll have to see. Also, Scott and Curtis may want to revisit items in the New Testament. Again, we'll have to see. We can't do too much revision of the New Testament, for all sorts of practical reasons, but we also don't need to so so, in my opinion.  The notes and commentary are simply outstanding as they are, if I do say so myself. (Since I didn't write them, I can say it!)  We'll be adding some more study Bible features and increasing the concordance a bit.