Well, my non-scientific Catholic Bible poll has now reported 200 responses. I had written a post when the poll had reached 100 a few months ago. Here are the results at 100:
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition: 27%
New American Bible: 22%
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition: 19%
Douay Rheims: 13%
New Jerusalem Bible: 10%
Jerusalem Bible: 6%
Good News Bible: 2%
Christian Community Bible:1%
And now here are the results at 200:
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition: 32% (64)
New American Bible: 21% (41)
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition: 20% (40)
Douay-Rheims: 10% (19)
Jerusalem Bible: 8% (16)
New Jerusalem Bible: 8% (15)
Good News Bible: 2% (3)
Christian Community Bible: 1% (2)
As you can see, the results remain largely the same from 100 to 200 responses. The only real difference is that the Jerusalem Bible has taken over the 5th spot. This is somewhat surprising, since the NJB is in many ways a much better translation than the original. But, like I have mentioned before, the original Jerusalem Bible has a strong following to this day.
There are three clearly definable groups. The first consists of the RSV, NAB, and NRSV, which tend to be formal equivalence translations. This has remained virtually the same since the poll began, and I don't see this changing in the future. The second group includes the DR, JB, and NJB. The JB and NJB are considered to be more dynamic equivalence, while the old DR is actually more formal than the RSV. The third and final group is consists of the GNB and CCB. In total, only 5 votes have been cast for these two translations. They are clearly the least known and available.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Bible Poll. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Bible Poll. Sort by date Show all posts
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Monday, December 8, 2008
Catholic Bible Poll
So, I have reached a total of 100 voters in my non-scientific poll on Catholic Bible translation usage. Here are the results so far, in order:
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition: 27%
New American Bible: 22%
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition: 19%
Douay Rheims: 13%
New Jerusalem Bible: 10%
Jerusalem Bible: 6%
Good News Bible: 2%
Christian Community Bible:1%
So what does this tell me? To be honest, the results are not too surprising. When you look at it, it is clear that the poll breaks down into two groups: 1) The first group comprises the RSV, NAB, and NRSV; 2) The second group comprises the DR, NJB, JB, GNB, CCB. Those in the first group comprise 68% of the total.
Focusing on the first group, the RSV, NAB, and NRSV clearly are more literal/formal translations compared with the others, minus the Douay-Rheims. That makes them useful in both liturgical settings and personal study. The first group is also the easiest to get at either a local Catholic bookstore or a secular store like Borders or Barnes and Nobles. I have seen various editions of the NAB, RSV, and NRSV in the Catholic selection of secular stores. The RSV is #1 because it is the most literal modern Catholic translation available. In addition, many popular speakers and teachers, like Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. John Corapi, and others, promote and use the RSV. As for the NAB, it will always be popular because it comes in many editions and is the base text behind the readings at Mass in the USA. It is clearly the easiest one to get. The NRSV continues to gain a following, probably due to the increased promotion by HarperCollins, who are continuing to publish Catholic editions of the NRSV. It also helps that the NRSV is read in the Canadian Mass.
As for the others, the Douay-Rheims still has a loyal following. I can attest to this not only by the poll number, but also by the many defenders of the Douay-Rheims on the various Catholic online forums. Unless a future translation of the Nova Vulgata is produced, the Douay-Rheims will always have its admirers. (Some of the Douay-Rheims-only people would probably still use it even if a new English translation of the Latin Bible was produced!) The New Jerusalem, along with the original Jerusalem Bible, are still read by about 16% of those polled. It still remains a bit of an exotic translation for Americans, since it is not used at Mass. It's standard edition, with all the notes and cross-references, remains a favorite for those who do Bible study. Yet, I do not see it ever gaining top-billing here in the US. One of its main problems is that it doesn't come in many available, attractive editions. With that being said, I do know a number of very loyal Jerusalem Bible readers. Many of them first purchased their Jerusalem Bible in the '60s, just after Vatican II, and have been reading it ever since. They are a great example for all of us! Finally, the GNB and the CCB remain basically a niche translation.
Thanks to all who participated in the poll. I will keep it up, just to see if any thing changes at 200!
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition: 27%
New American Bible: 22%
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition: 19%
Douay Rheims: 13%
New Jerusalem Bible: 10%
Jerusalem Bible: 6%
Good News Bible: 2%
Christian Community Bible:1%
So what does this tell me? To be honest, the results are not too surprising. When you look at it, it is clear that the poll breaks down into two groups: 1) The first group comprises the RSV, NAB, and NRSV; 2) The second group comprises the DR, NJB, JB, GNB, CCB. Those in the first group comprise 68% of the total.
Focusing on the first group, the RSV, NAB, and NRSV clearly are more literal/formal translations compared with the others, minus the Douay-Rheims. That makes them useful in both liturgical settings and personal study. The first group is also the easiest to get at either a local Catholic bookstore or a secular store like Borders or Barnes and Nobles. I have seen various editions of the NAB, RSV, and NRSV in the Catholic selection of secular stores. The RSV is #1 because it is the most literal modern Catholic translation available. In addition, many popular speakers and teachers, like Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. John Corapi, and others, promote and use the RSV. As for the NAB, it will always be popular because it comes in many editions and is the base text behind the readings at Mass in the USA. It is clearly the easiest one to get. The NRSV continues to gain a following, probably due to the increased promotion by HarperCollins, who are continuing to publish Catholic editions of the NRSV. It also helps that the NRSV is read in the Canadian Mass.
As for the others, the Douay-Rheims still has a loyal following. I can attest to this not only by the poll number, but also by the many defenders of the Douay-Rheims on the various Catholic online forums. Unless a future translation of the Nova Vulgata is produced, the Douay-Rheims will always have its admirers. (Some of the Douay-Rheims-only people would probably still use it even if a new English translation of the Latin Bible was produced!) The New Jerusalem, along with the original Jerusalem Bible, are still read by about 16% of those polled. It still remains a bit of an exotic translation for Americans, since it is not used at Mass. It's standard edition, with all the notes and cross-references, remains a favorite for those who do Bible study. Yet, I do not see it ever gaining top-billing here in the US. One of its main problems is that it doesn't come in many available, attractive editions. With that being said, I do know a number of very loyal Jerusalem Bible readers. Many of them first purchased their Jerusalem Bible in the '60s, just after Vatican II, and have been reading it ever since. They are a great example for all of us! Finally, the GNB and the CCB remain basically a niche translation.
Thanks to all who participated in the poll. I will keep it up, just to see if any thing changes at 200!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Catholic Bible Poll at 1000!
Which Catholic Bible Translation Do You Use?
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 28% (275)
New American Bible 26% (258)
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 16% (159)
Douay-Rheims 13% (134)
New Jerusalem Bible 8% (83)
Jerusalem Bible 7% (67)
Good News Bible 2% (16)
Christian Community Bible 1% (8)
After 1000 votes have been cast, it is clear that the RSV-CE remains the most popular Catholic Bible translation on this blog. What is interesting, since the last time I posted on the Bible Poll, is that the NAB has been growing in popularity. Does this have something to do with the impending revision to the NAB OT and re-revised Psalms? I do not know. Certainly the NAB is the most well-known of all the Catholic Bibles in the US, and I have always felt that the NAB NT is quite good.
In many ways, there are three groupings in this poll. The first group, which accounts for 54% of the overall vote, contains the RSV-CE and the NAB. Next, and somewhat ironic considering their translation philosophies, is a group consisting of the NRSV and the Douay-Rheims. Those two are actually pretty close, together accounting for 29% of the total vote. The final group consists of the NJB, JB, GNB, and the CCB, which only account for 18% of the overall vote.
Although this poll is by no means scientific, I do think it represents, fairly well, which Bible translations Catholics are reading these day, particularly here in North America. What do you think?
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 28% (275)
New American Bible 26% (258)
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 16% (159)
Douay-Rheims 13% (134)
New Jerusalem Bible 8% (83)
Jerusalem Bible 7% (67)
Good News Bible 2% (16)
Christian Community Bible 1% (8)
After 1000 votes have been cast, it is clear that the RSV-CE remains the most popular Catholic Bible translation on this blog. What is interesting, since the last time I posted on the Bible Poll, is that the NAB has been growing in popularity. Does this have something to do with the impending revision to the NAB OT and re-revised Psalms? I do not know. Certainly the NAB is the most well-known of all the Catholic Bibles in the US, and I have always felt that the NAB NT is quite good.
In many ways, there are three groupings in this poll. The first group, which accounts for 54% of the overall vote, contains the RSV-CE and the NAB. Next, and somewhat ironic considering their translation philosophies, is a group consisting of the NRSV and the Douay-Rheims. Those two are actually pretty close, together accounting for 29% of the total vote. The final group consists of the NJB, JB, GNB, and the CCB, which only account for 18% of the overall vote.
Although this poll is by no means scientific, I do think it represents, fairly well, which Bible translations Catholics are reading these day, particularly here in North America. What do you think?
Friday, April 24, 2009
Catholic Bible Poll at 300+
Well, here are the results as the Catholic Bible Poll reaches over 300 votes. Of course, this poll is in no way scientific, but it may help indicate which translations are being read. Here are the results after 321 votes cast:
1) Revised Standard Version 30% with 95 votes
2) New Revised Standard Version 19% with 62 votes
3) New American Bible 19% with 61 votes
4) Douay-Rheims 13% with 43 votes
5) New Jerusalem Bible 8% with 26 votes
6) Jerusalem Bible 7% with 22 votes
7) Good News Bible 2% with 8 votes
8) Christian Community Bible 1% with 4 votes
So, what do these "results" indicate. Well, the RSV remains the clear favorite. The NRSV jumped into the second spot, overtaking the NAB by one vote. I think the most interesting thing to watch in the future is the back and forth between the NAB and NRSV. The Douay-Rheims remains in the fourth spot, however it continues to garner more votes each time I update the poll. Perhaps more people from the Catholic Answers scripture forum have been stopping by and voting. Another interesting change is that the NJB has retaken fifth place back from its "parent" translation the JB. The GNB and CCB continue to take up the rear.
1) Revised Standard Version 30% with 95 votes
2) New Revised Standard Version 19% with 62 votes
3) New American Bible 19% with 61 votes
4) Douay-Rheims 13% with 43 votes
5) New Jerusalem Bible 8% with 26 votes
6) Jerusalem Bible 7% with 22 votes
7) Good News Bible 2% with 8 votes
8) Christian Community Bible 1% with 4 votes
So, what do these "results" indicate. Well, the RSV remains the clear favorite. The NRSV jumped into the second spot, overtaking the NAB by one vote. I think the most interesting thing to watch in the future is the back and forth between the NAB and NRSV. The Douay-Rheims remains in the fourth spot, however it continues to garner more votes each time I update the poll. Perhaps more people from the Catholic Answers scripture forum have been stopping by and voting. Another interesting change is that the NJB has retaken fifth place back from its "parent" translation the JB. The GNB and CCB continue to take up the rear.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Lord's Day Poll Question Contest
After watching a few episodes of Survivorman this weekend, I thought up a "real life" poll question which I hope will be fun for those who stop by this blog from time to time. But, I figured it would be a whole lot more interesting if it were also a contest.
So, first comes first, here is the poll question:
So, first comes first, here is the poll question:
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Catholic Bible Poll at 2000!
Which Catholic Bible Translation Do You Use?
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 28% (560)
New American Bible 22% (438)
Douay-Rheims 15% (307)
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 15% (303)
Jerusalem Bible 9% (174)
New Jerusalem Bible 8% (166)
Good News Bible 2% (34)
Christian Community Bible 1% (29)
So, what do you think about this non-scientific poll? From my experience, it seems that the precentages are about right. The main "battle" continues to be between the RSV and NAB, with the RSV remaining king of the Catholic Bible poll for almost two years now. However, the most interesting fight is between the Douay-Rheims and the NRSV, each representing 15% of the vote. Who will be third?
Monday, December 29, 2014
A Bible for "One Bible, One Year"
Which Bible Should I Use Exclusively in 2015?
In addition, being completely honest with you, I have way too many Bibles. Which reminds me, if you are looking for a particular Bible feel free to email me since I feel called to reduce the number of Bibles I currently have on my bookshelves. I would be happy to work something out for those who need a Bible to read.
A couple of additional thoughts that may answer any possible questions that you may have:
1)The one major exception to this would be that I am currently praying the Liturgy of the Hours, which has a combination of the Grail Psalms and original NAB. I can't really get around that.
2) Some may ask why there isn't an edition of the RSV-2CE that I am considering. Well, the answer is that I don't particularly care for many of the formats of those published currently. The standard Ignatius version I simply do not like to read from. I have honestly tried a number of times over the years, and I simply can't warm up to it. Of course, there is the impending release of the Didache Bible......but that is still not published. (There is, of course, the NOAB RSV out there, but I would prefer to use a Bible without archaic English.)
3) Don't worry, I will still be doing Bible reviews. As a matter of fact, I have a couple for January already in the works.
4) Why did I choose the three that I did? I am comfortable with these three Bibles and each in their own way meet my needs in a variety of settings.
5) Why not the Knox Bible? While I have a deep affection for the Knox Bible, I simply cannot use it for study and teaching. It is simply too different from the other translations my students will be using.
6) I plan to blog about my experiences doing this. I will start by announcing which Bible I have decided to go with during the first few days of January.
7) Some have expressed an interest in joining me on this crusade. If you are interested in doing so, please comment below and let me know if you would be willing to occasionally contribute a post, perhaps a total of 4 times during 2015, about your experiences. We can then chat via email about particulars.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Catholic Bible Poll at 500
Here are the official, though unscientific, results of the Catholic Bible Poll after 500 votes:
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 31% (154)
New American Bible 19% (95)
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 19% (93)
Douay-Rheims 13% (64)
New Jerusalem Bible 8% (42)
Jerusalem Bible 7% (34)
Good News Bible 3% (14)
Christian Community Bible 1% (4)
Some thoughts:
***The battle for #2 continues between the NAB and NRSV. It always seems to go back and forth. In any event, the numbers are close and reflect the growing interest in the NRSV.
***The RSV-CE remains the clear #1 choice. It has received the same exact number of votes as the Douay-Rheims, New Jerusalem Bible, Jerusalem Bible, and Good News Bible combined!
Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 31% (154)
New American Bible 19% (95)
New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition 19% (93)
Douay-Rheims 13% (64)
New Jerusalem Bible 8% (42)
Jerusalem Bible 7% (34)
Good News Bible 3% (14)
Christian Community Bible 1% (4)
Some thoughts:
***The battle for #2 continues between the NAB and NRSV. It always seems to go back and forth. In any event, the numbers are close and reflect the growing interest in the NRSV.
***The RSV-CE remains the clear #1 choice. It has received the same exact number of votes as the Douay-Rheims, New Jerusalem Bible, Jerusalem Bible, and Good News Bible combined!
Monday, August 19, 2013
Catholic Bible Poll at 500+
Last week, the Catholic Bible Translation Poll, which is located along the right sidebar, exceeded 500 votes. If you remember, I initiated a new Poll a couple month back in order to address the new editions/revisions that had been published since this blog began.
So here are the results, completely unscientific of course:
So here are the results, completely unscientific of course:
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (1st or 2nd):
24.01% (127 Votes)
New American Bible Revised Edition: 23.25% (123 Votes)
Douay-Rheims (Original or Challoner): 17.39% (92 Votes)
Jerusalem/New Jerusalem Bible/New Catholic Bible: 10.78% (57
Votes)
New Revised Standard Version: 9.83% (52 Votes)
Other: 6.81% (36 Votes)
Knox Bible: 6:24% (33 Votes)
Christian Community Bible/New Community Bible: 1.7% (9
Votes)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Catholic Bible Poll at 3100 votes
Which Catholic Bible Translation Do You Use?
Selection (Votes)
Revised Standard Version-CE 30% (923)
New American Bible 22% (668)
Douay-Rheims 15% (468)
New Revised Standard Version-CE 14% (421)
New Jerusalem Bible 8% (256)
Jerusalem Bible 8% (255)
Good News Bible 2% (62)
Christian Community Bible 2% (51)
**Please remember that this is not, by any means, a scientific poll**
Selection (Votes)
Revised Standard Version-CE 30% (923)
New American Bible 22% (668)
Douay-Rheims 15% (468)
New Revised Standard Version-CE 14% (421)
New Jerusalem Bible 8% (256)
Jerusalem Bible 8% (255)
Good News Bible 2% (62)
Christian Community Bible 2% (51)
**Please remember that this is not, by any means, a scientific poll**
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Friday, May 17, 2013
Catholic Bible Translation Poll After 5001 Votes
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21%
29%
12%
8%
8%
18%
2%
3%Wednesday, November 27, 2013
The New Catholic Bible Poll at 1088
1 22.7% (247 votes)2 20.4% (222 votes)3 16.82% (183 votes)4 11.95% (130 votes)5 10.29% (112 votes)6 9.74% (106 votes)7 6.34% (69 votes)8 1.75% (19 votes)
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Thursday, January 1, 2015
"One Bible, One Year" for 2015
A few days back I decided to do commit to using one Bible edition for one year. I provided a poll for you, my faithful readers, to help me in this process by choosing between three editions that I would be happy to use exclusively for 2015. So, with your consultation, I have decided to follow your recommendation. The winner of the poll, by one vote, is the 1991 New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV. This may be a crazy idea, but it is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I am quite comfortable with the NRSV, and as the years have gone by, and through my own personal prayer and teaching, I currently prefer it to the other translations. It is by no means perfect, but it has a lot of advantages to it, which I will talk about at a later time. I also believe that this NOAB (1991) is the high water mark of all the Oxford study Bibles. It maintains the fine, concise annotations that are found in the RSV edition, with some slight additions and updates to it, while providing generous margins for personal annotations. The type is also very clear and easy to read, which makes it helpful to teach from. It is also not as heavy as the later NOAB's.
Now, I have added one, well maybe two (or three) caveats to this venture. I pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day, so I can't get around using the translation provided in the official version. Secondly, as you can see on the photo, I am going to use the HarperOne Compact Thinline NRSV w/ Apocrypha for times when I cannot bring the bigger NOAB with me. This will not happen all the time, of course, but I can't see myself bringing the NOAB to a prayer group meeting. So consider this a kind of tag-team effort, when necessary. Finally, and this would be exceptional if it were to happen, if Allan's were to produce an amazing NRSV (Catholic or w/ Apocrypha) this year then I may have to suspend this experiment. I am sorry, I am just a weak man. However, I don't anticipate this so I doubt that this will be an issue.
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With all that said, I want to assure you that I will still be doing Bible reviews in 2015. I simply will not be using those Bibles for everyday use.
Last but not least, I know that a number of other people will be joining me in this Bible crusade. Along with my occasional posts concerning my experiences, some have been willing to do guest posts as well. If those people could simply, once more, comment below with which Bible they will be sticking with for 2015, I would be grateful.
Many blessing to all of you and Happy New Year!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Bible Poll: Which Bible Deserves a Premium Edition?
Which Catholic Bible Needs to Come in a Premium Edition?
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