ABS Lectio Divina Resource

If you head over to the American Bible Society (Catholic Ministries Section) you can find a weekly, online, lectio divina prayer resource for use with the Sunday readings.

Lectio Divina is a weekly framework for a faithful and respectful reading of the Bible, coordinated with the Catholic lectionary calendar.  Reflections written by Rev. Fr. Mariano Perrón, Roman Catholic priest, Archdiocese of Madrid, Spain

NRSV Hardcover with Deuterocanicals by ABS

I would like to start off by thanking reader Daniel for pointing the edition out to me.  As I have mentioned before, but not often enough, I have some wonderful readers of this blog.  Thank you!


The American Bible Society, which has become more and more involved in providing Catholic resources in recent years, provides various Catholic editions of the Bible.  This includes not only a number of NABRE volumes, but also some NRSV Bibles as well.  Last year they published the intriguing Poverty and Justice Bible Catholic Edition, which utilized the NRSV-CE text.  I like it in many ways, unfortunately like most of the NRSV Bibles on the market, it did not include any cross-references.  This remains a continual issue for those who want a nice edition of the NRSV with them included.


Well, reader Daniel recently pointed out to me an economy Bible the ABS publishes called the NRSV Hardcover with Deuterocanonicals.  Let me say this up front: It is not a premium or HarperOne type edition in any way.  In many ways, this would make a great pew Bible if Catholic Churches actually utilized pew Bibles in our churches.  (That is, of course, another issue for another time.)  For this edition, the paper is thin, the printing is not very bold, the maps are laughable, and the binding is glued.  Yuck right?  Rebinding this edition may not be either an option or desired.


However, there are two things going for it.  First off, it only costs $10.99, making it a fairly cheap purchase for most.  Those of you who are a bit suspicious of the NRSV, might like to consider this edition.  You can also purchase it in a case of a sixteen for under nine dollars each.   Secondly, and most importantly, it contains cross-references.  Yes, this is an NRSV with cross-references.  I will repeat that statement one last time, it is an NRSV with cross-references.  Such a rare thing really.  Most other editions that have cross-references are study bibles or expensive (or out-of-print) reference Bibles.  Now get this, not only are there bottom-of-the-page cross-references, they even reference the Deuterocanonical books.  Take for example the image I have for you here on the right.  It comes from 1 Corinthians 15:14-50.  If you look, you will see references to 2 Maccabees, as well as 4 Maccabees.  The Deuterocanonical books, themselves, have cross-references linking to both the Old and New Testaments.


So, this is a nice find.  If ABS would consider creating a Catholic edition of this, with a little bit nicer materials, it could make a great candidate for a rebinding.  

ABS Lectio Divina Revised Manual (Good News Bible)

ABS Lectio Divina Revised Manual

Lectio Divina is a method for the prayerful reading of the Holy Scriptures. This Lectio Divina manual includes a general introduction of Sacred Scripture, introduction to Lectio Divina, detailed description of the traditional steps of Lectio Divina, and practical exercises for prayerful reading of the Bible. This manual is a useful tool for both individuals and communities that desire to sincerely dedicate themselves to the exciting world of the prayerful reading of the Bible.

Hardcover. 115 pages. 9 1/2 x 7 1/2.

I haven't seen this yet, but hope to get a copy soon. My only gripe is with the choice of translation.  Why not utilize the NABRE or NRSV?  ABS publishes editions in both translations.   

Review: ABS NABRE

One of the more recent editions of the NABRE to be published comes from the American Bible Society. Available in both hardcover and paperback, the ABS NABRE is a fairly cheap edition if you are looking to have this translation on your bookshelf. On the ABS site, the hardcover goes for $16.49, while the paperback is only $7.25.

The hardcover is 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches, encompassing 1440 pages. While the binding is glued, the Bible itself sits open nicely. The overall page layout is the standard one you see with most NAB's or NABRE's, although I would say the print is bit smaller than usual. While this makes reading a little more difficult, the payoff is that there is plenty of room at the top and bottom of each page for personal annotations. (See photo) The Bible paper is a basic white, quite similar to what you would find in the older RSV-CE hardcover/paperback published by Ignatius.

Along with the standard NABRE text, notes, and cross-references, the ABS NABRE includes the lectionary readings for both weekdays and Sundays. Also there are two sections of maps included in the appendix. The first section includes four black and white maps covering the ancient world, the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, Palestine in the Time of the Maccabees, and Palestine in New Testament Times. Immediately following these maps there are eight additional full-color maps which chart the Empires at around 1300 BC, Egypt and Sinai 1400-1200 BC, The United Kingdom of Israel in the Time of Kings Saul, David, and Solomon 1000-924 BC, Jerusalem in OT Times 960-44BC, Palestine in the Times of the Maccabees 175-63BC, Palestine in the Time of Jesus, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus, and Paul's Third Journey and His Journey to Rome. I found it quite odd to have to different sets of maps, one in color and the other in black and white. (I should note that the wonderful Cambridge NRSV w/Apocrypha does the same.) Also, if you are going to chart Paul's Third and Fourth Journeys, why not include the first two?

Again, this is a very basic edition of the NABRE. I certainly appreciate the low price for it, along with the margin space for notes. Is this the best edition of the NABRE out there? By no means! Or rather "of course not!" I have a few questions, in particular, about its durability, particularly since this is the first ABS Bible that I have ever owned. We shall see!