New Pocket NABRE NT & Psalms

Thanks to Lenny for letting me know that this edition will be coming out in May from Pauline Books.  The listing on the Pauline website also includes a preview of the page-layout.  It is sewn!

New Testament and Psalms Pauline Edition

About this Book:

This lightweight, versatile, and easy-to-read volume combining the NABRE translation of the New Testament and the Psalms is also elegant and ideal as a gift. Starting with the gold-embossed icon of Jesus the Teacher on the cover, it offers extra durability with its quality sewn leatherette binding, while the ivory paper, colored ribbon markers, and gold edges make it a treasury of craftsmanship. The 10-point type and full-page text will make it easy to use as an aid for prayer and devotion.

Features & Benefits: 

• New American Bible Revised Edition translation (NABRE) is approved for Catholics 
• Quality sewn binding makes for greater durability 
• Includes guide on how to use scriptures to pray 
• Beautiful look and feel make it appealing for prayer and devotional reading 

Product Details:

Binding: Leatherette 
Trim size: 6 X 4 inches 
Pages: 1312

Review: Scepter's Pocket RSV-CE NT

This, my friends, is truly a pocket bible!  You can easily put it into your back or side pocket without barely noticing.  I realized fairly quickly, when testing this out, that my cell phone is actually bigger than this pocket bible.  The Scepter Pocket RSV-CE NT, along with the USCCB's Pocket Gospel and Acts, represent the best answer to the call of Pope Francis to read the Gospels daily.  Yet, unlike that aforementioned pocket bible by the USCCB, this one is actually a tad smaller and comes in various cover options.  The price is $14.95, which also makes it highly affordable for not being a paperback edition.


As someone who prefers the original RSV-CE over the second edition done by Ignatius, I was really happy to see that this was going to be published.  The RSV-CE certainly deserves to remain in print, even as we are fifty years after its initial publication.  Upon receiving both a bonded leather and red synthetic leather edition, I can commend Scepter for creating a pocket bible that is portable and nice to hold and feel, while also being easy to read from.  The bonded leather has the nicer feel compared to the synthetic, but to be honest there isn't a huge difference.  The size is 3" X 5", making it slightly smaller than the USCCB pocket NAB.  Each edition comes with a nicely made and attached ribbon marker, which certainly should be mandatory for a bible like this which is meant to be read on the run or away from home.  There are also head and tail bands, along with four page endpapers.  I should mention that the black bonded leather edition has pages that are gold-gilded.  Overall, a well-constructed pocket bible that will last daily use wherever you take it.


One of the highlights for me is how readable the text is.  The biblical text is spaced well and printed dark enough so that one does not have to strain their eyes to read.  If you were to compare the page layout of this to any of the more recent Oxford compact NRSV's or NABRE's, the differences would be dramatic.  Perhaps this may serve as a reminder that it is better to have a pocket New Testament, or Gospel/Acts, that is can actually be read with ease instead of a complete Bible that gives you a headache when you are finished.  In this pocket RSV NT, the verses are places on the margins, which I think is an aid to reading this pocket bible.  There are paragraph headings which are bolded and help to break up the text, again, making it much easier to read.  If you have poor vision, I would guess that most pocket bibles would not be your cup of tea, but this one should appeal to most bible readers.


In conclusion, if you are looking for a truly pocket Catholic New Testament, this is the one for you.  If your favorite translation is the RSV-CE, again, this is the one for you.  At under $15, this is truly worth every penny.  As I had been trying to mention more and more before the summer sabbatical, when Catholic publishers produce quality Catholic bibles like this, it is important that we show them support by purchasing their products.  I know that many of you have wished to see more premium Catholic bible editions available.  This can become a reality only if we make it clear that there is a market for them.  Publishers like Scepter, as well as others like Baronius Press, have been producing quality Bibles for a number of years now.  Let's make sure to support them by not only purchasing their products, but also by promoting them when we can, particularly on social media.



I would like to thank Scepter for providing two copies of this edition for an honest review.

Scepter's Pocket RSV-CE NT

A number of people have emailed me during the past month or so who are very excited about this new Pocket RSV-CE NT from Scepter.  I have yet to see one in person, so would be interested in hearing from those of you who have.  With a price of $15.00, it clearly is a must for all those who love the RSV-CE.  I hope to have a review copy in the coming weeks to review for you.

Specs:

Pocket New Testament -Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition

Following years of popularity with a pocket New Testament in the Confraternity translation, Scepter now releases an easily readable, yet pocket size (3 x 5 inches) RSV CE version in bonded and synthetic leather covers.

The print size is bold and provides an easy read with a single column format. Each New Testament is well bound with reinforcement strips on the outside signatures to provide years of service without the binding splitting or weakening. Other features include: Gold foil stamping on cover and spine, Four-page end papers, Round spine with round cover corners, Head and tail bands, One ribbon marker, 672 pages

This pocket NT is about a half inch wide. Thus it can be carried easily anywhere, at work, during travel, or at home. Useful for everyone, whether just for one’s own reading, for preparation of talks or homilies or commentaries, or as a gift to a friend or family member.

Guest Review: OSV Pocket Gospels and Psalms (NRSV)

Thanks to Joshua for this fine review of the NRSV Pocket Gospels and Psalms from OSV.  Amazon also allows you to "look inside" which you can do here.

The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) has been a favorite of mine for over 20 years now. I have seen it various editions ranging from study Bibles, pew Bibles, audio versions, eBooks, to plugins for Bible software. However pocket editions have been far and far between. The last pocket edition I've seen was The Faith-Sharing New Testament with the Psalms. This edition was released in the late 1990s by Cokesbury, a publishing company owned by the United Methodist Church. Besides the text, it had an essay about the basics of conversion and discipleship. There is an edition by Cambridge that has the anglicized NRSV New Testament and Psalms. I have not seen this edition in person.

I ran into Our Sunday Vistor's (OSV) The Pocket Gospels and Psalms by chance last fall; I was looking for new translations of John (which is my favorite Gospel). It looked intriguing and I mentioned to people I know on Facebook. Last Christmas, I ordered the Bible online. The first I noticed was the size of the book. It is small; it easily dwarfed the mailer it came in. I compared the Bible with a pocket New Testament published by the Gideons (this organization places Bibles in hotels and other places) and a mass-market paperback. The Bible was about equal in size to the Gideon New Testament and smaller than the paperback (see the attached pictures). The size of the book was made apparent to me on New Year's Eve. I went to a store to do some shopping; I took the book with me in a jacket as I wanted to read from it after I finished. It was so small I forgot it was there and had to feel for it! The cover is burgundy with a matte finish. The contents and a small cross appear in gold on the front; the publisher's name, a bar code and the ISBN appear on the back. The cover also has a faux grain pattern, which is a nice touch.

Turning to the paper, I'm pleased to say it is a nice white color. Ghosting is kept a minimum. The type size for the text is not the same as the Amazon sample; it is about 8.5px with the type size of the footnotes being smaller. My only real complaint about this Bible is that the type size for the footnotes is too small. I wish that OSV made the type size larger and placed the notes in a horizontal line across the bottom of the page rather than grouping them together in the corner. (See the scan of Psalms to see how the layout looks.) Canon Law requires that Bibles have "necessary and sufficient annotations" in them. The only notes this edition has are the standard translator footnotes, which aren't as detailed as the ones found in the NABRE or in other Bibles. A concern I have about this edition is that it does not have an Imprimatur. The only mentions of the Imprimatur are mentioned in the preface where it states that the NRSV has the "ecclesiastical approval of the Catholic Bishops of both the United States and Canada" and the "latter edition received the Imprimatur (official approbation) of the United States and Canadian Catholic Bishops". The preface is abridged from the one found in a regular NRSV-CE. It is also worth noting that Bruce Metzger's preface to the NRSV isn't printed. In any case, I would think that the Imprimatur and the Metzger preface is something that would be included.

Overall, this is a beautiful, portable edition of the gospels and Psalms; I recommend it. Not only does it help heed the Holy Father's advice to "carry [a pocket Bible] with you and read it every day", it is a way to share the wonderful news with a generation that knows more of Kim and Kanye than Mary and Joseph. I also think it is a very good way to test drive the NRSV before buying more elaborate editions. In a practical sense, it is also a good way to effectively use those idle moments we have such as waiting at the doctor's office. What's better? Reading the words of the Lord or texting and talking on our phones? In any case I believe The Pocket Gospels and Psalms will do much good no matter how it's used.

OSV Pocket Gospels and Psalms (NRSV)

OSV will be publishing a paperback The Pocket Gospels and Psalms in the NRSV translation sometime in late October.  If you go to the Amazon listing, you can take a look inside.  It looks quite readable.  I may have to pick one up myself.  It is great to see more editions of the NRSV come out, particularly from different publishers.

Description:
Pope Francis encourages us to read the Gospels and even to carry a small version with us, so we can take moments during the day to grow closer to Christ. This new pocket-sized collection of all four Gospels is an easy way to answer that call, and as a special bonus it includes the Psalms to aid in daily prayer and meditation. The Pocket Gospels and Psalms, just 3.5" x 4" is just a little larger than a deck of cards, so it will fit easily into pocket or purse, and the flexible cover is especially durable. The New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition is easy to read and pray with. Makes a great gift or evangelization tool.

"Take it, carry it with you and read it every day. It's Jesus Himself who speaks to you in the Gospel. It's the Word of Jesus, this is the Word of Jesus." Pope Francis

USCCB Pocket Gospels and Acts

Thought I would give you all a first look at the USCCB's Pocket Gospels and Acts of the Apostles NAB(RE).  It is a really handy little volume, that is modeled after the one our Holy Father distributed a number of weeks back. Here are some photos:

Hearing Francis: Pocket Gospels

Pope Francis has repeated his desire to see Catholics read the Bible daily, particularly the Gospels.  (He did it over a week ago, again, at the conference with the Charismatic Renewal.  As mentioned a few posts back, he even gave away free Gospels at a recent Regina Caeli).  The USCCB has heard the call as well and are making a pocket edition of the NAB Gospels and Acts available in the coming weeks.

So, have you answered the Holy Father's call?  If so, which edition do you use?  I really like the Ignatius Press RSV-2CE Gospels and Psalms.  It is beautifully made, contains two ribbons, and the print is very dark.  That is really all you can ask for in a pocket Gospels including the Psalms.  I had the first edition which came out in 2006, but recently purchased a new one.  This one has darker print, the paper is not glossy, and it was made in the United States.

Pocket Gospels and Acts from USCCB

In light of our Holy Father's often repeated call to read the Gospels daily, including gifting thousands of people at a recent Sunday Regina Caeli prayer in St. Peter's Square with copies of the Gospels, the USCCB will be publishing a similar product for those of us in the USA.

INFO:
Carry the Pocket Gospels and Acts of the Apostles with you, and keep the Word of God as your constant guide and inspiration!

In April, Pope Francis handed out thousands of pocket-sized copies of the Gospels and Acts. He asked the faithful to read a passage every day, saying, "This is the word of Jesus!"

This small pocket-sized book has the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles with a beautiful Italian fresco on the cover just like the Pope's! Take it with you and read it anytime you have a few minutes during the day. On the bus!   Waiting for an appointment! Anytime!

This paperback edition will contain the NAB(RE) Gospels and Acts (including notes).  Its size is 6" X 4" X 1/4" and, as the info above mentions, will have the same cover as the one given to the pilgrims in St. Peter's Square.  That is pretty cool!  Individually, the price for each is $7.95.  I know that they are encouraging bulk orders, which you can access here.  (In bulk, the price is closer to $5.37 per book.)

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.