OBOY?

Three years ago I spent a year using one bible for the entire year. I did a series of posts focusing on that experience.  It was an important year for me, I must say.  It showed me that I really do need to stick with one primary bible for my daily reading.  Sure, I look at different translations when I need to, particularly since I teach scripture.  But I can honestly say that because of that experience back in 2015, I feel like I am finally not simply reading the bible to seek info, but actually being taught by it in a slow, relational way.  It is hard to explain to be honest, but I just read to read, without looking for doctrines or proof-texts or anything of the sort.  And even though the bible I use now is not that one I used in 2015, I am immensely grateful for having spent a year with my NRSV.  

Recently, my friend Kevin has decided to start this year attempting to do the OBOY challenge.  I wanted to pass along a link to his site, where he goes over what he is attempting to do by taking on the OBOY challenge.  Give it a look!  Consider doing it yourself!

OBOY: Thank You Pope Francis

A couple days back I posted an introduction Pope Francis wrote for the German edition of the YouCat Bible.  There were many great things he said in this introduction, but none more striking to me than what he wrote at the very beginning:

"If you could see my Bible, you would not be particularly impressed. What—that’s the Pope’s Bible? Such an old, worn-out book!  You could buy me a new one for $1,000, but I would not want it. I love my old Bible, which has accompanied me half my life. It has been with me in my times of joy and times of tears. It is my most precious treasure. I live out of it, and I wouldn’t give anything in the world for it."

When I read these words from the Holy Father, my mind immediately went back to the whole One Bible, One Year (OBOY) challenge.  It reminded me that I hadn't posted about how I was doing recently, so, now seems to be a good time to give you an update.  I also felt confirmed in partaking in this experiment.

Back when I started, I made a commitment to sticking with the NRSV translation.  Although there have been times during the past year when I have "flirted", a tad, with my beloved Knox bible, I can honestly say that I have stuck to the NRSV throughout this year.  (In a perfect world my Knox Bible would be "the one" but there are too many situations where it is simply not practical.  But oh how I do love that Bible!). What has it been like?  Well, after having spent 3/4 of the year with it, I am even more certain that the NRSV does a remarkable job of being useful in almost every situation.  It is literary, accurate, well-annotated, ecumenical, and just plain feels right to me when I read from it.  (If you would like to read more about why I prefer the NRSV, here is a link to a prior post.)  This does not mean, just to be clear, that I refrain from looking at other translations for study and work purposes.  I, of course, need to as part of my job.  Yes, there are many good translations out there, but the NRSV is the one I choose.

I also decided to use two editions of the NRSV: 1) NOAB NRSV '91, for use with study and teaching; 2) The Harper NRSV compact, for daily reading.  Throughout this year, I have been faithful to the NOAB for studying and teaching.  I still think it is an amazing edition, with concise and useful annotations and references, along with a generous print and margin.  I like this edition so much that it will likely be the next candidate for a rebind, since the cover is wearing out a tad.  (Remember, I purchased it used a couple years back.)   In regards to my daily reading Bible, some of you will remember that I had the Harper compact NRSV rebound.  One might think that means it has remained my daily reading bible this year, but it hasn't.  Another NRSV has come in (and out, and back in) to my life that I simply can't put down.  I first received it back in February from my friend Jason.  It is the Oxford NRSV (anglicized) Pocket Edition with Apocrypha in blue calfskin leather.  I cannot really explain to you why I have taken to this Bible, but I simply enjoy the feel and look of it.  it lays open flat, comes with three ribbons (which were added by Jason), and just has a remarkable feel to it.  It is simply a reading bible, with no annotations or maps.  Yet, like my Knox Bible, I have just grown to really love reading from it.  I have recently started a 90 Day New Testament reading plan, which I am doing with this Bible.  It has been great.  

So, there is where I am at.  How about you?  I know there are at least a couple of you still out there!  The comments by Pope Francis above have only solidified my desire to have one of those 50 year old Bibles that I wouldn't trade anything for.  This bible would serve as a companion, one which has been read and loved over a long period of time, accompanying me on my journey to the Lord.  Yet, this journey has to start somewhere. For me, I am feeling ever so confident that my journey began in 2015.  How about you?

A Question

We have been having a great conversation discussing all things NCV over at the previous post.  Unfortunately, there is so little that we know, everything tends to be speculative.  While speculation can be great fun, something else has been stirring in me during the past few days.  It is this: I wonder if, like our politics, we align ourselves to a particular translation because that allows us to feel comfortable in a particular segment of the Church?  You can certainly see this in a number of Protestant communities, most notably during the past decade with the rise of the ESV and the whole revised TNIV/NIV debate. Yet, this isn't just a Protestant thing.

I remember well over a decade ago being told by a group of people that a particular translation was the only faithful Catholic Bible I could trust.  This caused me to look upon others translations with great suspicion, even to the point that if someone came to a bible study with one of those "other translations", I'd question whether or not that person was serious about studying the Bible. While I know I have changed dramatically over these past 10-15 years, I am not certain that things are much different today in the Church.

So I throw that question out to you.  I also have been thinking about this in connection to the whole One Bible, One Year challenge.

OBOY: Failure?

From the protagonist himself:

http://bibleexchange.com/the-death-of-my-one-bible-one-year-resolution/

I am still rolling along, with a couple of minor hiccups along the way.  More on how I am doing will be revealed shortly.....

OBOY: A Reader's Question

Inspired by Carl Hernz recent NABRE post and the OBOY series, reader Eric was interested in seeing what actual Bible most of you read.  He provided me a series of questions for you to try and answer.  I would be interested in hearing back from you as well.  See if you are able to describe, using the questions below, your Bible.

Main Question = What is your "most used" Bible for reading pleasure/prayer/reflection?  This does not necessarily have to be your favorite translation, your favorite Bible or a study Bible...

Why do you prefer it over your other Bibles (if you have others)? 

What do you consider to be its most important feature?
Was it a gift or did you purchase it for yourself?  If it was a gift, does the sentimental value contribute to your use of it?
What is the layout - single or double column?

Does it have illustrations or is it solely text?
What fonts are used?  Is font choice, kerning (spacing between characters), line spacing or color scheme important or irrelevant?

What is the weight of the paper?

How is it bound and/or what format is it in?
What are the overall dimensions?
Who is the publisher and when was it published?

What is the translation?

OBOY: The Journey Home and OBOY

Thank you to Daniel for posting this in the comments section. Some great things here. Not only is Dr. Mary Healy a wonderful scripture scholar and one of the editors of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, she is a true missionary. Also, there is a great section on this program, from minutes 23-30, where Marcus speaks about having one Bible. I thought that was pretty cool considering the Monday post. Enjoy.

OBOY: Reflecting on Bibles and Translations

I am going to do a little thinking/writing out loud here today.  Consider it a journal entry for the day.  The context of this reflection is my year doing the OBOY (One Bible, One Year) challenge and the results of my prayer life for the past year or so.  I will caution you that this might border on babbling with apparently little coherence.  Of course, if you have been reading this blog for a while, this will not be shocking in any way!  Still, I am going to do it anyways.

When I started this blog back in 2008, part of my motivation was just a desire to find "my Bible."  You know what I mean?  I was looking for the "perfect" translation in the best binding and cover materials (Allan's?), with the best cross-references, maps, annotations, all bound together in format that suited my needs.  I was seeking perfection.  (Or at least what I perceived as perfection.)  Often I would complain about this or that translation or publisher, lamenting the "woes" of being a Catholic who actually likes nice Bibles.  I am sure many of the posts during my first few years of doing this blog often reflected that mentality.

As I reflect on all of that now, much of my thought (and crusading) was focused on seeking something fairly unimportant, really, while missing the whole point altogether.  It has taken a number of years, multiple re-bindings, dozens (although my wife would say more) Bible purchases, and hundreds of posts on this blog to realize that all of that really didn't matter.  I have come to the conclusion that what matters most is represented in the picture above.  Yeah, its not a Catholic version, but that is not the point.  It represents the many, mostly older women, who I have seen and talked with at charismatic and other prayer groups who have been reading their one, single, solitary Bible for decades.  Specifically, there was a woman I talked with at a conference about five years ago or so who was reading out of her 1966 imitation leather Jerusalem Bible.  The full one too, with all those fantastic notes and the beautiful single-column format.  Her Bible was tattered, underlined and highlighted, bent, torn, and worn.  The Bible ribbon looked like it had fallen off sometime in the 1980's.  The spine was held together with duct tape and she used a thick rubber band to close the Bible with all her hand written notes and prayers.  What a beautiful sight!  Outside of my wife and children (and maybe Rome), I would say that tattered, decrepit  old Bible was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. It was loved, prayed with, studied, and had clearly been a constant companion to that woman for likely longer than I had been alive.

Over the past year, I have had a hard time getting that image out of my mind, particularly during morning prayer time.  I know, at least for me, seeking the Holy Grail of Catholic Bibles is not an option anymore.  Particularly since it doesn't actually exist!  It is time to settle down with one Bible.  (Now don't worry, I'll still be doing reviews and welcoming guest Bible reviews.)  I want my Bible to look like the one pictured above.  I will of course be using reference and study Bibles for teaching and study.  I think I will stick to hardcover editions of those, since they reflect a more reference Bible style.  It is time, however, to have one Bible.  While the "head" knowledge is important, the "heart" knowledge is what gives life.

So, I am starting a process of gifting out most of my Bibles.  I have been sort of doing that on this blog for the past year or so, sensing that this was the direction I was going to go.  Stay tuned for some more opportunities on getting some of the Bibles I have left.  For me, it is time to have a companion. It is time for a Bible that is more than a translation or a premium style of leather, but one that I will remain faithful to.  That is the thing really, if I actually want to be honest.  I have too often been flirting with other Bibles and translations, when the reality is that all I needed was just the one.  It was always just the one.  I am Gomer.

OBOY: Why I Prefer the NRSV

An important part of the "One Year, One Bible" initiative was choosing to stick with a particular translation for an entire year.  From my perspective, I wanted a translation that was both literary and formal enough for study, while also being useful for prayerful reading of scripture, as well as for teaching.  The obvious candidates were the RSV, NABRE, and NRSV.  Having been already quite familiar and comfortable with all three of these translations, it ultimately came down to a few factors and, to be honest, just going with my gut.  In the end, I chose the NRSV, which I haven't regretted in any way.  (The NABRE was a fairly close second.)

The first factor is that all of my favorite bible editions are in the NRSV translation.  This list includes the NOAB '91, Cambridge NRSV Reference Bible, and my new Oxford Compact in calfskin.  (Stay tuned for a post on the new compact later this week.)  All come in genuine to semi-premium leather and are made with the highest quality binding and materials.  In my opinion, none of the other "contenders" can match the NRSV in this regard.  I might also mention two other NRSV's that I own, the often overlooked NOAB 4th edition which is also beautifully made as well as the mid-90's Oxford reader's Bible.

Secondly, the vast majority of academic study materials I own, including commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, and interlinears, are keyed to the NRSV.  Neither the NABRE or RSV-CE have anywhere near the same in print today.

Thirdly, any Bible that I was going to choose must, in some way, reflect current scholarship and textual discoveries.  For example, if a translation does not acknowledge and utilize in some way the Dead Sea Scrolls, either in the translation itself or the textual notes, I think it is seriously lacking.  I know some will argue with me on this one.

Fourth, textual notes are a must for serious study.  Not only do they instruct the reader of other possible or more literal renderings, they can bring relief to a particular rendering you may disagree with.  There are a handful of places in the NRSV that I would have preferred a more traditional rendering.  Fortunately, more often than not, the textual note is honest enough to include that more traditional rendering.  I read somewhere that the NRSV committee chair, the late Bruce Metzger, commented that the textual notes were integral to the text itself.  No wonder that all editions of the NRSV must be printed with the textual notes.  Even the Saint John's Bible had to abide by this requirement.

Fifth, the issue of inclusive language played a role as well.  Over the past five years, mostly due to teaching high school students, I have recognized the necessity of inclusive language. I have had discussions in the classroom over what a translation means when it says "men" as opposed to human or something like it.  The English language has changed and the students I teach simply do not use the term "man" in an inclusive sense, as it once was.  To be honest, I don't use it in that sense either nor do I really remember a time when I did.  Now with that being said, I think there are a couple places where the NRSV went a tad bit too far in their use of inclusive language.  Daniel 7:13 is a clear example.  That rendering is only redeemed by the presence of a textual note with the literal translation of the Aramaic.  It must also be said, since I see this sometimes stated otherwise on the interwebs: The NRSV does not use vertical inclusive language, which means in relation to God.  The most recent, Catholic translation that did was the revised '91 NAB Psalms.  Fortunately, the NABRE Psalms are a great improvement over the '91 Psalms.

Sixth, the Saint John's Bible utilizes the NRSV.  

Seventh, another imporant reason is that the NRSV is an ecumenical translation.  As stated in Dei Verbum #22: "And should the opportunity arise and the Church authorities approve, if these translations are produced in cooperation with the separated brethren as well, all Christians will be able to use them."  This has become a more important issue for me over the years as well.

Finally, of all the translations out there, I simply enjoy reading from the NRSV more than the others.  This is all a personal preference to be sure, but it is something I have experienced for the better part of five years.  For a long time I avoided the NRSV due to what other people had said and written about it, but through spending a considerable amount of time reading and studying from the NRSV, I have found it to be both readable and reliable.  I keep going back to it.

So, those are the main reasons why I prefer the NRSV.  The other two translations are, of course, fine translations.  My comments in no way are meant to minimize the qualities that the other two possess.  To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if I change my mind once the NABRE NT finally comes out.  However, I have some time before that happens.  Until then, the NRSV will be my translation of choice.  

An Update on "One Bible, One Year"

So, those of you who have joined me on this, how are you doing?  I have been doing ok, although I have made a slight adjustment.  At various points over the past month and a half I have been "tempted" to switch to a different Bible edition.  While switching to a different translation has never been the issue, the edition that I want to read from has evolved a bit.

As I posted on January 1st, I committed to reading from two NRSV's, the 1991 NOAB and the HarperOne Compact Thinline for the entire year.  I plan on doing a post soon as to why I chose the NRSV translation, but I will simply say now that I think the NRSV does the best of combining beautiful language with a (generally) formal equivalence translation philosophy, making it good for both reading and study.  As I said, more on this in a future post.

For study and teaching, I have remained steadfast in using my beloved 1991 NOAB NRSV.  It contains all the cross-references and annotations that I need on a daily basis as a teacher.  I always seem to go back to this Bible, ever since I found it a few years back.  However, the one thing that makes this Bible great, its large margins and easy reading page layout, makes it a bit difficult to use as a daily reading Bible for my morning prayer time or to take to a prayer group.

The Bible that I intended to be my reading Bible, the HarperOne Compact Thinline, is a fine Bible, but it just hasn't fit "my needs."  Strange thing to say, huh?  I feel even silly writing those word to be honest.  With all the issues in the world today, I am worrying about something like this!  However, the past month or so I feel like I have come to an important discovery about my relationship between prayer and scripture.  I would say that my main issue, which I have only realized through prayer, is the need to simply read the Bible without any study helps or maps or commentary or even a concordance!  I get too distracted with all those things.  I need to strip those things away and simply become immersed in the sacred word.  So, that is what I am going to do and, as we enter Lent, what a perfect time to do it!  In a future post, I will share with you the Bible I am going to use for this, which was generously offered to me by someone else.   I have come to prefer it for its portability and page layout.  More on this soon.

So, that is where I am at right now.  How are you?

"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.

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!