NRSV New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs Burgundy Imitation

This delightful slimline NRSV New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs was first published back in July of 2003 by Cambridge University Press.  It comes in a number of different covers, the one I have is the burgundy imitation leather. This is truly a slimline\thinline Bible, which easily fits into a bag, purse, or pocket.  Its dimensions are 6.9 x 3.5 x 0.6 inches with a weight of around 3 ounces.  What is most attractive about this Bible is the single-column format, which make reading this slimline Bible quite enjoyable for its size.  The imitation cover is very flexible, enhanced in durability by its sewn binding.  This is the kind of Bible you can take somewhere and not worry about it getting bent or ruined in any way.  It is so small and thin that it will fit into any situation.  

Other than the NRSV standard To the Reader essay by Metzger, this Bible does not contain additional features other than the Biblical text, but for its size, that is OK with me.  The Psalms and Proverbs are placed before the New Testament. 

From Cambridge:

The New Revised Standard Version takes full advantage of recent scholarship and is widely used in academic circles as well as in mainline churches. This attractive and affordable book contains the NRSV New Testament together with the Psalms. The black-letter text is set in a clear but compact font, in one column with section headings. Presented in a format like that of a slim pocket diary, the book will fit easily into a pocket or purse. It is beautifully produced, printed on Bible paper, and Smyth-sewn for utility and durability.   It has a burgundy imitation leather cover, giving a very flexible feel, and it includes a presentation page. 

Bible Review: CEB Thinline w/Apocrypha

I received a surprisingly wonderful edition of the CEB w/Apocrypha in the mail last week. It is the DecoTone CEB Thinline Bible w/Apocrypha. I say "surprising" because it is a review copy, and I figured that I would receive a hardback or paperback edition. But this is not the case. I am going to focus this review on the numerous features of this thinline edition of the CEB. If you want more info on the CEB itself, we have discussed it on a number of occasions and you can read those comments here or you can just check out the translation's website.

This edition of the CEB is a true thinline Bible. While it is similar in width to the HarperOne NRSV thinlines, its dimensions are a very portable 5 3/8" x 8 3/8",without being compact. At times, I have felt the NRSV thinline was a bit too big. But even with its smaller size, the CEB Thinline has a 9-point type, which makes it fairly easy on eyes.

Of all its features, the one thing that really stands out is the feel of this Bible. It is a very soft synthetic leather, known as DecoTone. It is probably similar to the Italian Duo-Tone or imitation leather that is now being used more often in many Bibles. This truly has a great feel to it. While it is both supple and flexible, it also lays open flat on a table or in your lap. Recently, I have found myself preferring the very soft, synthetic leather covers over the standard leather, both bonded and genuine. The only question is durability and how long it will hold up to continued use. At this point, I am not sure.

Some other nice features include the Deuterocanonicals being in their own section, but divided and labeled by which ones belong to which Church's canon. In addition, while there are no cross-references in the Old Testament, all Old Testament reference in the New Testament are noted at the bottom of the page. This is a definite advantage over the NRSV thinlines. Also, there are 8 full-color National Geographic maps in the appendix.

All in all, a very nice and useful thinline Bible. It is simple, but well executed.


**Thank you to B&B Media Group for the review copy**

NRSV Thinline Available Next Week

Next week, February 1st to be precise, will be the release date for the HarperCollins NRSV- Go-Anywhere Thinline Bible Catholic Edition. It will be published in bonded leather, paperback, and hardcover XL editions. If you would like to see a sample, follow this link. From what I can tell, this edition looks similar to the full Apocrypha version that was released back in October. The only major difference being the inclusion of the Deuterocanonical books in their proper order. If you would like to see my review of the earlier edition, you can follow this link. I am not sure, at this point, whether or not I will be picking up a copy, but since I have been asking for a true Catholic thinline for the longest time, perhaps I am obliged to do so.

This NRSV edition includes:
Less than 1 inch thick
Easy-to-read 9-point type in a double-column setting
Bonded leather with craft-sewn binding for added strength and long life
Fine Bible paper to maximize readability and portability
Concordance for finding key verses
Gilded edges and a ribbon marker
Presentation page and maps

Review: NRSV Go-Anywhere Thinline Bible w/Apocrypha

As some of you know by reading this blog, I have been championing a proper Catholic thinline Bible for a long time. As far as I know, there has never been a specifically "thinline" edition of the NAB, RSV-CE, NRSV-CE, JB, or NJB on the market at any point. (If I am wrong, let me know.) I am happy to report that this apparent oversight is being remedied by HarperOne. While the edition I am reviewing today is the NRSV Go-Anywhere Thinline Bible w/Apocrypha (including the Orthodox OT books), a Catholic thinline edition will be released by HarperOne in February 2011. (No details yet on if there will be anything different, besides the ordering of the OT books.) Before going any further with this review, I must acknowledge that I am grateful that HarperOne is publishing so many different editions of the NRSV, including Catholic editions. One does not have to be a fan of the NRSV translation to realize that HarperOne is, in many ways, being creative and daring in the editions that they publish. I would like to see a little bit more of this from some of the Catholic Bible publishers out there.

OK, so on to the review. First off, what does this Bible include:

Less than 1 inch thick
The Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical books of Scripture
Easy-to-read 9-point type in a double-column setting
Bonded leather with craft-sewn binding for added strength and long life
Fine Bible paper to maximize readability and portability
Concordance for finding key verses
Gilded edges and a ribbon marker
Presentation page and maps

Those of you who own HarperOne's NRSV Compact Thinline will notice immediately that the type and font are the exact same, only bigger. You can get a closer look at this, besides my first photo, here. Personally, I really like the size and look of this 9-point font. It is pleasing to my eyes and truly does make reading from this Bible enjoyable. Prior to this edition's release, I had actually gone back to the compact edition and in many ways was hoping it would be the same. Of course, this is just my opinion, so people may be free to disagree on this.

Next, the bonded leather cover can be seen as being good or bad, depending on what you like. It is not the same as the compact edition, nor have I seen this type of bonded leather used on any of HarperOne's other NRSV releases. Would I prefer genuine/premium leather or even Italian Duo-Tone? Absolutely, since I am not a big fan of bonded leather. However, this bonded leather edition isn't too bad. It opens up fairly flat, and I can see a point in the near future, with continued use, that it would be much more flexible. There is always the worry with bonded leather covers that they will not hold up after years of regular use, however the fact that pages are held together with craft-sewn binding may make up for it. Again, only time will tell.

So what are some of the details about the extras in this Bible? The presentation page is pretty standard. I wonder if it will be more expansive in the Catholic edition, perhaps including places to indicate a person's Sacramental history. I have always liked having that in my Bible. The maps, while still being the Zondervan black and white ones, are more numerous than in the compact edition. In total there are 7 maps, compared to the two in the compact, ranging from "The Exodus" to "Paul's Journeys". A map of Jeruselem would have been helpful, but it wasn't included. Of course, it would have been nice for them to include full-color maps, which many other thinline editions contain. In any case, there is enough of them to get you by if you needed to look up a location. Also, this Bible contains a helpful 30-page concise concordance.

So that is basically that for the description. Looking at what seems missing, the most obvious is the lack of cross-references. I hate to be a broken record, but they really need to at least indicate what OT references are being referred to in the NT. Surveying a number of thinline Bibles over the weekend, almost all of them included cross-references. This glaring omission continues to hinder HarperOne's NRSV in my eyes, which is a shame since I think, overall, they are doing some really great things.

However, since I am planning on using this Bible regularly over the next three months, I have decided to take matters into my own hands. Those of you that own the HarperCollins Study Bible will notice that at the end of the New Testament section there is a table of OT references in the NT. I decided to make a copy of this table, shrink it, then attach it to the thick blank pages that immediately follow the map section.

Why wait? Unless there is a copyright issue with the SBL, who authors the HarperCollins Study Bible, I wonder why HarperOne doesn't simply add this table to their NRSV Bibles. It would be very easy to do and at least provide the reader with tools needed to cross-reference a verse in a crunch.

Overall, I am fairly happy with this thinline. I plan on using it regularly over the next three months, until the Catholic edition is published. Depending on how things go, and whether or not there is any additional helps in the Catholic edition like the Sunday Mass Readings, I may pick it up as well. I would encourage anyone who is unsure whether or not to buy this to try and see it for yourself first. Places like Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Cokesbury should all have them in stock.

NRSV Thinline

A review of this fine product will be forthcoming. Needless to say, I have been a bit busy over the past few days. I actually received the HarperOne NRSV Thinline w/Apocrypha on the day we headed to the hospital. So, enjoy one of the photos that I took of it today on my I-Phone. More to come....

NRSV Thinline Thoughts

The NRSV is about to be available in a thinline edition, which I think may be for the first time ever for that translation. In mid-October, HarperOne will be publishing a thinline NRSV in editions with and without the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals. As mentioned on this blog on numerous occasions, I have always wanted a thinline Catholic Bible. So, needless to say, I am very excited about this release. As far as I know, there has never been an official thinline edition of the NRSV-CE, RSV-CE, NAB, JB, NJB, DR, CCB or any other English language Catholic translation. Am I wrong on this assertion?

As of today, these first two HarperOne editions with and without the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals, which are set to be released on October 19th, will be followed by a specifically Catholic edition in February. While I am planning on getting the edition with the Deuterocanonicals in October, I will also pick up the Catholic edition in February. But, why is there an almost four month wait for the Catholic edition? I am not sure. Will there be a difference, outside of the OT book order, between the Catholic edition and the ones set to be released in October? Hmm....

So, this leads to my question that I propose to you: If you could add one thing to the NRSV Catholic Thinline which is not included in the October releases what would it be? Let's not go with the old standby "crossreferences" since that seems too easy of a choice and something that most NRSV publishers seem unwilling to undertake.

To help you a bit, below are the features which are included in the October releases:

*Less than 1 inch thick
*The Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical books of Scripture
*Easy-to-read 9-point type in a double-column setting
*Bonded leather with craft-sewn binding for added strength and long life
*Fine Bible paper to maximize readability and portability
*Concordance for finding key verses
*Gilded edges and a ribbon marker
*Presentation page and maps

NRSV Thinline Update 2

According to HarperOne, the upcoming NRSV thinline, which will come in a Protestant and full Apocrypha edition in the fall, followed by a Catholic edition in 2011, will include both a concordance and maps.

Here are the specs:

- The New Revised Standard Version - the most trusted, most accepted, and most accurate English translation of the Bible available today
- The Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical books of Scripture
- Burgundy bonded leather in a 6" x 9" size
- Craft-sewn binding for added strength and long life
- Fine Bible paper to maximize readability and portability
- Easy-to-read typeface (8 pt type) in a double-column setting
- Thinline - less than 1 inch thick - makes it easy to take with you wherever you go
- Gilded edges and a ribbon marker
- Presentation page for gift-giving
- Maps to visualize the holy lands

Again, the first two versions of this thinline are due out in October.

Thinline Bibles

Some of you who have been reading this blog for the past couple years know that I have always wanted a Catholic Bible in a thinline edition. As far as I know, one does not exist in any of the major Catholic, or ecumenical, translations. There have been times when I think I have found something that would ultimately meet my needs, but in the end it didn't. At least for me, a thinline Bible is something that can be used in both devotional, as well as classroom settings. Whenever I have picked up one in the store, I have always liked its size and feel. It's neither too small, like a compact edition, nor as big as a standard, average sized Bible.

Of course, in the back of mind currently is the upcoming release of the NRSV Thinline edition by HarperOne, which promises to come in Protestant and full Apocrypha editions in the fall, with a Catholic edition in early 2011. However, I have yet to see any indication as to what this edition will look like or what it will contain. If one remembers, it was only last year that HarperOne released their NRSV Compact Thinline, which ended up being a pretty bare bones compact NRSV. So, we shall have to wait and see what comes of the this.

Why do I bring this all up? Well, I was about five seconds away from purchasing the ESV Thinline pictured above. It contained all the elements that make up a really good thinline Bible. Not only was the text very readable, as well as containing OT cross-references in the NT, but the cover was flexible and soft trutone, and it contained both a concise concordance and maps. It was a pleasure to read from and hold....which is why I almost purchased it. Obviously, the lack of Deutercanonical books make this ESV edition incomplete, so I passed. But other than that, it gets very high marks. To be honest, another reason that almost convinced me to purchased it was that I had convinced myself that I could use the ESV w/ Apocrypha by Oxford in conjunction with the thinline. Hmmm.......

So, do any of you use a thinline? What do you think of thinline Bibles in general?

Update: NRSV Thinline

According to Amazon.com, the upcoming HarperCollins (Zondervan) NRSV Go-Anywhere Personal Size Thinline Bible will be released on September 19th. No word yet as to whether it will come in a Catholic edition or at least contain the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books. It appears that it will come in a bonded leather edition with craft-sewn binding. Maps will also be included. The dimensions are 6' x 9' size, with a thickness of less than 1 inch. The current pre-order price on Amazon.com is $23.09.

NRSV Compact Thinline Bible Review

The Go-Anywhere Compact Thinline Bible NRSV w/Apocrypha is the latest release from HarperCollins/One/Bibles. Since its acquisition of the NRSV license, HarperCollins has regularly published different editions of the NRSV, usually in a non-apocrypha, apocrypha/deuterocanonical, and Catholic editions. This has certainly helped grow the polularity of the NRSV which, for many years, seemed to be in a steep decline. In this instance, there are only versions available with or without the full apocrypha/deuterocanonicals, with no specifically Catholic edition.

Because they are referring to this edition as the Go-Anywhere Bible, I wonder if they will be fazing out the original NRSV Go-Anywhere Bible which was released back in 2007. Known for its rather odd shape and very thin paper, this version did have the advantage of coming in a Catholic edition.

Here are the official specs/description for the NRSV Go-Anywhere Compact Thinline Bible with the Apocrypha:

The NRSV Go-Anywhere Compact Bible is the most portable edition of the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) with the Apocrypha available today. At less than an inch thick, this compact Bible combines excellent portability with the readability of a larger Bible and is perfect for personal use or for gift giving.

The Ideal On-the-Go Portable Bible The Go-Anywhere™ Compact Thinline Bible offers a thinline, compact size that combines the portability you'd expect in a compact Bible with the readability of a larger Bible. One touch will tell you why this distinctive Bible will be your constant companion. Perfect for personal use or for gift giving.

Features Include:
*The New Revised Standard Version—the most trusted, most accepted, and most accurate English translation of the Bible available today

*The Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical books of Scripture

*Bonded leather with craft-sewn binding for added strength and long life

*Fine Bible paper to maximize readability and portability

*Easy-to-read typeface in a double-column setting

*Thinline size—less than one inch thick—making it easy to take with you wherever you go

*Gilded edges and a ribbon marker

*Presentation page and maps

Overall, it is a very nice, protable version of the NRSV. I use to own the compact edition of the NRSV that was published by Oxford, but I found the print to be too small for daily use. One thing to keep in mind before you buy the HarperCollins edition is that it is more compact than thinline. I was hoping that this would be closer in size to a standard thinline like the TNIV Thinline Bible (a little love for the soon to be deceased), but in reality it is slightly larger than the average compact bible. So, the search for a true thinline Bible continues.

Good points:

* This print is larger and more readable than the compact NRSV published by Oxford.

* There is far less bleed-through in this edition, as oppose to the original NRSV Go-Anywhere Bible.

* There are four black and white Bible maps included, covering the route of the Exodus, the division of Canaan, Palestine in the time of Jesus, and the three missionary journeys of St. Paul.

* In the apocrypha/deuterocanonical section, there is a four page section devoted to explaining the different OT canons.

* Overall, this Bible has a very nice feel to it, even though it is made of bonded leather. The craft-sewn binding certainly helps.

Negative points:

* As mentioned earlier, there is no Catholic edition. (However, I don't see this as that big a deal.)

* Once again, no cross-references. (I will keep championing this cause until it is resolved!)

* No concordance. This was something that was included in the original Go-Anywhere Bible.

* The cover is bonded leather. I will have to see how it holds up after use, but I would have prefered imitation or tru-tone leather.

Catholic Thinline Update

We have a winner! Well, not exactly. My quest to find a Catholic Thinline Bible is pretty much over. There is no specific "Thinline" Catholic edition available to my knowledge, but I think I may have found the closest thing to it. It is RSV Catholic Readers Bible: Black / Blue Tu Tone published by Oxford.

Here are the details: The Revised Standard Version Catholic Bible's New Testament appeared in 1965, and the whole Bible was published the following year. The RSV remains the translation used in official Church documents, and served as the basis for the scriptural text used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church .The Reader's Edition is perfect for anyone needing a straightforward text Bible, whether for reading or personal devotions. It includes a presentation section, prayers and devotions of the Church, and the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum ). Gilded page edges and a ribbon marker make for a thoughtful gift. Size: 5-1/2 x 8-1/2

While I would prefer the NRSV-CE, the RSV-CE will probably work just fine. At this point, I prefer this edition of the RSV to the new Ignatius RSV-2CE because I at least know who did the editing and where the changes were made. In comparing the size of the RSV-CE with the previously mentioned TNIV thinline, which is 8.7 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches, it compares pretty well. The biggest difference, in my mind, is that the RSV-CE is thicker than the TNIV thinline. The RSV-CE is still not technically a "thinline" but it is pretty close.

Another difference is that the TNIV version has considerably more study helps included, like a concordance, maps, and some cross-references. The RSV-CE does not have any of these features, but includes the original RSV-CE explanitory notes at the end of each Testament, the Vatican II document Dei Verbum, and a small slection of Catholic prayers and devotions. I have been able to make up for the lack of cross-references by copying a list of "OT quotes in the NT" into one of the back blank pages in this Bible. Also, in regards to Bible maps, I purchased the very colorful Rose Bible Maps inserts, which fit nicely in the back of the Bible. I guess sometimes if you want a particular type of Bible edition, you just have to do it yourself.

I do like the feel of this Bible. This is the first one that I am going to use regularly that has a "pacific duvelle"cover. I am not sure about the quality and longevity of this type of cover, but it seems that many Bibles are now being produced with it. So far, it sits well in the hand and lays flat on the table. So, time will tell to see how well this edition holds up.

Finally, while the text layout is somewhat plain, it does include a lot of space at the top and bottom of each page for personal notations. It is also thumb-indexed, which is nice, but I don't necessarily need it.