Is it big? Yes! Has it taken almost 10 years to complete? Yes! Do a lot of Catholics, unless they read Catholic Bible blogs, have no idea that it has now been published? Yes! But is it good and worth the wait? Absolutely yes!
I have spent a number of hours over this past weekend perusing through the long-awaited Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (ICSBNT). (The edition I am reviewing is the hardback one.) Simply put, it is fantastic and a great tool for Catholics. Over the past year or so, we have been blessed with an increase in the amount and quality of Bible related material and study tools, most notable are The Catholic Bible Dictionary, The Catholic Bible Concordance, The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series, and now the completed ICSBNT. These are truly good days for Catholics to enhance their love of Scripture, which is certainly one of the main areas of focus for our current Holy Father. There really is no excuse for Catholics to not be engaged in regular Bible study, whether individually or in a group. The tools are out there!
While in many ways the ICSBNT is only a collection of the individual volumes that Ignatius Press has been producing since 2000, it is so much more. As has been noted on a number of sites, the ICSBNT is a fairly thick volume. (Matt, over at Absolutely No Spin, has some fine pictures which illustrate that point.) This isn't to say that it is as large as the Navarre Bible- New Testament Expanded Edition. However, the text is quite large and easy to read, while not technically being large print. Rather, the size of the actual volume, itself, makes the text very easy to read. In addition to it's size, the ICSBNT is printed on thick, non-glossy, paper. Again, this was a major issue I had with the original edition of the RSV-2CE, which has recently been changed. If you are looking for wide margins, the verdict is that they are OK. This is certainly not a wide-margin study Bible, like the original NAB Catholic Study Bible was, but there is still plenty of space for individual notations.
The true worth of this volume is in the amount of study notes, the 28 in-text charts and maps, the 62 word studies, and the 23 topical essays that are included. (There is also a new 9-page introduction to the Gospels, authored by Curtis Mitch co-author of the ICSBNT along with Scott Hahn, which clearly explains all the important issues related to the Gospels, most notably the relationship among the synoptics.) The annotations remain focused on not only historical info, but the helpful "icon annotation" system which singles out passages that relate to: 1) "content and unity" of the Scriptures; 2) Tradition and Magesterium (with plentiful references to the CCC); and 3) "Analogy of the faith". (See CCC 112-114 for the reasoning behind this special annotation system.) For the most part, however, there are no differences in content between this and what was found in the original single volumes. Yet, to have the study material collected in one volume makes cross-referencing the information much easier.
For me, the topical essays prove to be the most welcome feature of this study Bible. There are both timely placed, as well as substantial and fair in their presentation. For example, on pages 514-515 there is a topical essay on the issue of "Who is Babylon?" in the Book of Revelation. Is Babylon Rome or Jerusalem? Both sides of the issue are given fair treatment, as oppose to most study Bibles that simply state one or the other as fact. In the end, the essay concludes with a recognition that both sides have considerable evidence supporting each, and perhaps that the answer to this question may reflect both possible interpretations. In addition to this essay, there are additional essays that focus on important issues like The Census of Quirinius and Mary as the Ark of the Covenant.
If the ICSBNT had simply been a collection of all the NT volumes into one book, it would have been already a fine volume, but there is more to this. Perhaps one of the most surprising, yet welcome additions to this volume is the inclusion of almost 200 pages of study aids that are found at the back. While most of this section is devoted to the very sizable concise concordance, which totals some 167 pages, there are indexes which cover the parables, metaphors, and miracles of Jesus found in the Gospels, an index of Catholic doctrines found in Scripture, an index to all the charts, in-text maps, topical essays, and word studies found within the ICSBNT, and finally a new set of New Testament maps commissioned by Ignatius Press. I would just like to mention the Index of Doctrines, since is a welcome addition to this volume. It reminds me of the old St. Joseph NAB edition I own, which contained a similar feature. Both are quite valuable, but the ICSBNT version is far better organized and covers more timely issues. I can see this section being helpful to not only those looking to defend their faith or engage in apologetics, but also for those Catholics who are either new to the Church or who have recently come home.
All in all, this an outstanding study Bible. Are there additional things I would have liked to see in it? Sure, what comes to mind is an index to the weekly/Sunday readings, a couple Bible ribbons, and a copy of Dei Verbum, but these are only minor quibbles. Also, one hopes that the Old Testament volumes come out at a much quicker pace than the New Testament ones. Let's not make this project another 10 year odyssey. Let me also say that I would really like to see Ignatius Press publicize this more. How about a website devoted to this project? While it is great to see the RSV-2CE and ICSBNT in not only Catholic bookstores, but also businesses like Barnes and Noble and Borders, how about a little more publicity. It's a great resource, why not give it the promotion that it deserves!
In conclusion, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament is a great resource that every Catholic should pick up. Oh, and by the way, these volumes are very reasonably priced. I purchased my hardback edition for $21.09 at Amazon.com, but the paperback is even cheaper. (One can also purchase the leather edition, which is due out sometime in June.) In a weekly audience dedicated to St. Jerome back in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said: "It is important that every Christian live in contact and in personal dialogue with the word of God, given to us in sacred Scripture." I hope the ICSBNT proves to be an important tool in helping many Catholics make first and lifelong contact with the Triune God.
