HarperOne NABRE Non-Flex Imitation Leather

Well, the question as to what HarperOne meant by "non-flex imitation leather" has been answered.  It is similar to what Baronius Press has done with its Knox Bible, a hardback edition which is covered in (bonded) leather.  In this case, however, HarperOne has simply used imitation leather, which I greatly disliked in the flexible imitation leather edition that came out in May.  (If you observe the photo on the left, you will see that the imitation leather is on the left, while the hardcover is on the right.)  Needless to say, this is a disappointment.  Why even produce a cover like this one when you already have the hardcover edition?  That simply doesn't make much sense to me.  I would have much preferred that they simply used bonded leather, like they utilized in their NRSV thinline Bibles.  Actually, I really liked the feel of the NRSV Compact Thinline, which came out in 2009.

Ultimately, if you are desiring an edition of the NABRE, the hardcover one is the way to go.  It is too bad really, since I believe that HarperOne has created a very attractive page layout with their NABRE.  Its a shame that they never completed the package by producing it in a good leather, or even imitation leather, cover.  Again, stick with the hardcover edition.

New American Bible (Non-Flex Black Imitation Leather) [Hardcover]

A new edition of the HarperOne NABRE is apparently set for release today.  This edition comes in a "non-flex black imitation leather" cover.  Unfortunately, I have no idea what that actually means.  Is this a response to the negative reception of the previously released imitation leather cover that came out last Spring?   The problem, for me at least, is that I haven't seen any of the HarperOne editions in any local bookstore, so I am not sure I am willing to blindly order this new edition without any further confirmation as to what this cover is like.

Retro Review: NRSV Go-Anywhere Bible Catholic Edition

Any one else besides me think this is a pretty sweet and unique Bible?  Crickets.....

I really do appreciate HarperOne's imagination in producing this Bible.  It is, for those of you who are unaware, the NRSV Go-Anywhere Bible Catholic Edition, which was published back in 2007.  It was, for me, the first edition of the NRSV that I actually purchased and read.  Up until that point, I had stayed away from the NRSV due to the perceived inaccuracies of the translation due its use of inclusive language.  (Since then, I have come to greatly appreciate the NRSV and its more than helpful textual notes.)

What is most unique about this particular edition is its dimensions: 8.6 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches.  It is a very slender, portable Bible, but one where the text is not cramped like most compact ones.  Some, like myself, have liked the extra length in this edition, while others have not.  Included with the Sacred text is a helpful concordance, but that is about it.  (The typical issues that plague most of HarperOne's releases, lack of cross-references and too thin paper, is also present in this NRSV.)

However, with that said, the binding is sewn and the Italian Nu-Tone cover is quite soft and has lasted for almost five years with no issues.  Also, unlike the most recent NABRE imitation leather release from HarperOne, this edition does come with a ribbon marker!  All in all, it is certainly a unique Bible, one that will be appreciated by only a handful of people, depending on their taste for strangely shaped Bibles!

Bible Edition Review: HarperOne NABRE Imitation Leather

Back in April, I reviewed the hardcover edition of the HarperOne New American Bible: Revised Edition.  Needless to say, I was impressed with what HarperOne was able to do with the NABRE.  I still contend that the hardcover HarperOne NABRE is the best edition of the NABRE on the market today.  Last week, however, I received the imitation leather edition and found myself to be quite disappointed.  While the content and the page layout is the exact same as the hardcover edition, I was hoping that the binding would be sewn and the cover would be sturdy.  Unfortunately, the imitation leather edition is neither of those two things.  Upon examining this edition, I instantly felt like I had seen something like this before.  Alas, I remembered where!  If any of you own the black imitation leather NRSV Catholic Gift Bible, also by HarperOne, than you know what I am talking about.  While the size and translation of the editions are different, the binding and cover are identical.  In addition, both do not come with a ribbon marker!  The HarperOne NABRE binding is clearly glued and the imitation leather cover doesn't maintain its shape.  I would have much preferred something closer to what is found on the bonded leather, yet sewn NRSV Go-Anywhere editions from HarperOne. 

So, all I can recommend, at this point, is to purchase the hardcover edition, which is sewn, and find yourself a leather Bible cover.  Or perhaps have it rebound in premium leather.

Healing Catholic “Bible Envy"

The following article by Mickey Maudlin, HarperOne Senior V.P./Executive Editor, is found on the HarperOne website in their News and Pews section.  The title is great and the article is certainly worth your time.  I will include some comments within the article, which will be in red, in imitation of Fr. Z:

When HarperOne contracted with the National Council of Churches to manage the licensing of the NRSV in 2006, one of the happy surprises for us was the openness the Catholic market had to new Bibles designed for them. (I have been told by various sources that the NRSV Catholic Editions have sold quite well.) Catholic consumers spoke of “Bible envy” when they saw all the colors, features, bells, and whistles on their evangelical neighbors’ Bibles. Many said they wanted “cool” Bibles as well. (Like Me!)

So we accommodated these requests, offering a variety of colors, bindings, sizes, and styles, including single-column (called the NRSV Standard), large print (XL), thinline (Go-Anywhere) (Yay! Thinlines), compact, and even Bibles for teens (Live) and families (Catholic Faith and Family). While these NRSV Bibles found good homes and did well, we kept getting the same request: please do a beautiful edition of the main translation Catholic parishes and schools use, the New American Bible.  (Wow, a publisher who actually listens to consumer requests.  Ignatius are you listening?)

Once again we decided it was wise to listen to our audience and say yes to them whenever we can. Last month, we released a new hardcover of the NAB revised edition with a beautiful two-color text setting (subtitles and bottom of the page note references in red) to be followed by a black, imitation leather edition later this month. I have to admit, they are stunning and should assuage any Catholic still suffering from Bible envy.  (The hardcover edition is a joy to read, minus the thin Bible paper.  I am looking forward to receiving the imitation leather in the coming weeks as well.)

But what was most fun for this Protestant editor was discovering so many delightful surprises in the NAB. The translation was done by an elite group of Bible scholars and overseen by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. If one judged by stereotypes and caricatures, one would think such an approval process would encourage a conservative and narrow rendering of the text, but I found just the opposite to be true. In fact, from the evidence of the translation, it would be easy to make the case that the Catholic community and hierarchy are one of the most open Christian communities to the findings of scholarship and science, producing a wonderfully accurate and pleasing translation with a surplus of extra features to help anyone read and understand their scriptures. 

One of the historic charges against the Catholic church was that it discouraged the laity from reading the Bible for themselves (a perception which the church since Vatican II has vigorously reversed—hence our success with Catholic Bibles). One might see this old prejudice at work in the decision to include multitudinous notes and long introductions to each book of the Bible so that it is almost impossible to find an NAB Bible without these trappings of a complete study Bible. (Indeed, it is impossible!) Yet as someone from the evangelical community who has been immersed in the world of study Bibles, I have to say that I think these extrabiblical helps are among the best on the market. They combine mature and wise interaction with scholarly issues with a sensitivity to pastoral and ecclesiological concerns—which is a rare feat.

But what I found the most refreshing, by far, was the mature nondefensiveness about what would constitute controversial issues for most Protestant Bibles. For instance, in the introduction to the Pentateuch (the first five books of Moses), Moses’s authorship is questioned and the document hypothesis for explaining the different sources for these works is described and integrated into the notes and introductions. In the explanations for Genesis 1-11, they explain how the creation and flood stories were borrowed from other Mesopotamian groups and adapted by the “writers” of Genesis and should be considered “neither history nor myth.” They later explain how there were at least three Isaiahs and that Paul may or may not have written the Pastoral letters. All this without any hint that these conclusions undermine the Bible’s authority or teachings or could be described as “liberal” or “skeptical” in any way (remember who owns and manages the translation: the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops!).  (Fascinating insight coming from someone in the evangelical community.  Does this change our view of the NABRE notes?  We often spend way too much time, IMHO, debating the notes as opposed to the translation itself.)

So who has Bible envy now? My advice to my Protestant friends, don’t let tribal markers keep you from enjoying a wonderful new biblical resource. Take up and read the NAB.

Bible Edition Review: HarperOne NABRE (Hardcover)

Over the past decade, HarperOne has been known for its unique editions of the NRSV translation. With editions like the Standard, Thinline, Live Youth, and Family Bible, HarperOne has made the NRSV more attractive and accessible to many Catholics. Now, for the first time, HarperOne has been licensed to publish the New American Bible Revised Edition. The HarperOne NABRE currently comes in hardcover, soon to be followed by E-book and imitation leather editions in May. For those looking for an edition of the NABRE that is visually different than many of the previous, cookie-cutter ones, this one might just be the NABRE you are looking for. I am not providing any personal pictures of the hardback edition that I own, since you can view a considerable number of sample pages here.

There are many positive elements to the HarperOne NABRE. First, and foremost, is the fact that it comes in a beautiful and attractive layout. The size of the font is pretty standard for a Bible of its size, but the real bonus is the intelligent use of red ink to highlight paragraph headings and for chapter/verse references in the notes. This subtle addition makes reading from this Bible certainly more pleasurable, while also giving the overall layout a more contemporary look and feel. Along with the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible, and its single-column format, the HarperOne NABRE is easily one of the nicest looking NABRE on the market today.
The overall look of this Bible is enhanced by the wise ordering of the notes and cross-references. Instead of the standard NAB(RE) look, this edition’s notes and cross-references are organized into three columns at the bottom of each page. While smaller than the sacred text, the notes are not so small as to be difficult to read.  Along with the notes, some have complained about the cross-referencing tool found in a number of NAB(RE)’s of the past.  In this edition, however, they are easily found in the third column after the notes. The use of asterisks alerts the reader to a note, while a simple letter indicates a cross-reference.  Again, very simple and very easy to use.

Three additional features make this edition standout. First of all, in the appendix are found 14 full-color Zondervan maps, with map index. While in the past, many of the HarperOne Bibles have either been produced absent of maps or have contained a limited number of drawn or black and white maps, this edition provides large, full-color maps that span the biblical period. The only missing period, which is unfortunate for a Catholic Bible, is the Greek/Maccabean period. Perhaps that was to be expected with maps from Zondervan. At the front of the Bible are 8 Presentation pages, including a photo of Pope Benedict XVI. The presentation pages include sections to record family and Sacramental highlights, including baptism, first communion, confirmation, and matrimony. However, there are no specific sections for children, which is unfortunate. The photo of Pope Benedict is a nice touch. Finally, and quite significantly, this Bible comes in a sewn binding! No need to worry whether or not the binding on this Bible will last.

With all these positive features, I need to mention a few of the negative features. The biggest problem with this edition is that the paper is fairly thin, much like the other NRSV editions. This continues to be an issue with most of the HarperOne Bibles. What makes this even more strange is that this Bible is advertised to come “with fine Bible paper to maximize readability” on the dust cover. Yet, the thin paper actually makes reading the text more difficult. It is not huge problem, don’t get me wrong, but a more opaque Bible paper is desirable. The only other minor deficiency with this Bible, besides the absence of one or two maps covering the Maccabean period, is the lack of Sunday Mass readings. That, of course, is a personal preference, but one which I think should be mandatory in all Catholic Bibles.

I hope to provide a brief review of the imitation leather edition when it is released later in May.