Saturday, June 29, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
7 Questions: Greg Pierce of ACTA Publications
Q: Could you talk a
little bit about the process as to how ACTA has become the publisher of The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition?
How long of a process has this been?
ACTA Publications, a Chicago-based publisher of books for
the Catholic /Christian market since the 1950s, signed a license in September
2011 with Colorado Springs-based NavPress, the original publisher of The Message by Eugene Peterson, to be
the exclusive publisher of The Message:
The Catholic/Ecumenical Edition. In addition to the material in previous
editions of The Message, the new
edition contains the deuterocanonical books of the Bible as translated by
William Griffin, a well-respected Catholic writer and translator, in the paraphrasal
style and spirit of the original version of The Message. The additional
writings are in the order of the Bible used by Catholics (as contained in the New Vulgate, approved by Pope John Paul
II in 1998). The Message:
Catholic/Ecumenical Edition will ship in August 2013 and will be available
from booksellers nationwide or can be preordered now at a 20% discount at www.actapublications.com.
Q: How supportive
has Eugene Peterson's been about this new edition becoming available to
Catholics?
Eugene Peterson has been very involved and supportive of
this project since the beginning. He personally chose his friend William
Griffin to translate the deuterocanonical writings and approved the final
versions of the new translations. He wrote a special introduction to the new
edition that explains his reasons for and involvement in the project, in which
he said, “I am immensely grateful to my many Catholic friends and colleagues
for their encouragement to ‘complete’ The
Message. I hope that it will lead to increased ecumenical use and dialogue. I prayerfully anticipate a fresh audience as
together we cultivate the fullness of our salvation. “
Q: Your initial
editions will come in paperback and hardcover. Are there plans to release it in
leather? Some of NavPress’ The Message
Remixed editions are quite popular.
We wanted to get a basic version of The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition out first and may follow
with additional versions as the market develops. Many Catholics and others have
never even heard of the original version of The
Message because it did not contain the deuterocanonical books, and many of
those who know and love the original will be delighted to see that this edition
now contains all the books of the Bible that Catholics recognize. We anticipate
that the Catholic/Ecumenical Edition will be used by ecumenical groups that
include Catholics, Orthodox, and those from other denominations. The initial
version is 1984 pages typed full 6 x 9” and available in paperback for $29.95
or hardcover for $37.95 or as an e-book for $9.99.
Q: Since you are
publishing a Catholic edition of The Message, has there been any communication
with the USCCB in regards to publishing this Catholic Bible edition?
The Message is
a paraphrasal translation of the Bible from ancient languages and is meant to help
people appreciate and understand what the Bible is saying in contemporary,
idiomatic, American English. It is a “Reader’s Bible” without footnotes or
references, a supplement to more formal and literal translations. The
Catholic/Ecumenical Edition is meant for use by anyone who values the
deuterocanonical writings as either an integral part of the Bible or additional
sacred texts worthy of reading and discussion. As such, The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition is not intended to be an
“official” Bible of the Catholic Church for use at Mass or for formal
catechetics. It was therefore not necessary or even appropriate for us to seek USCCB
approval or an imprimatur from a specific bishop. The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition is not a publication of
the Catholic Church but an aid to seekers and believers alike in understanding
and appreciating the Bible published by an independent, for-profit publishing
house that specializes in books for the Catholic/Christian market.
Q: What would you
say to someone who is considering purchasing The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical
Edition but perhaps may shy away from the translation style it utilizes?
The Message:
Catholic/Ecumenical Edition is a paraphrasal translation of the Bible from
ancient languages that, we say, “Everyone can read and understand.” For
Catholics (including young adults) who are not regular Bible readers it can be
a great introduction to Scripture that we hope will lead them, as we say, “to
fall in love with the Bible all over again…or for the first time.” The Message is a “compelling, fresh,
challenging, and faith-filled Bible in contemporary language” that we hope will
lead readers to seek out and study the more literal or traditional Catholic
translations such as the New American
Bible Revised Edition used at Mass in the United States and the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic
Edition, used at Mass in Canada. We are even offering a free service called
“New Message 4 Next Week” that will send subscribers an email each Monday
morning with the lectionary readings for the following Sunday from The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition,
allowing them to read and meditate on the readings as they appear in The Message prior to attending Mass on
Saturday or Sunday and hearing the official liturgical readings proclaimed. To
subscribe to this service, go to link www.catholicecumenicalmessage.com.
Protestants are very used to paraphrasal translations of
the Scriptures. Here are just a few examples.
Way back in 1943, J.B. Phillips published his
groundbreaking translation, The New
Testament in Modern English. “Be careful that nobody spoils your faith
through intellectualism or high‑sounding nonsense,” read Phillips’ rendition of
Colossians 2:8. “Such stuff is at best founded on men’s idea of the nature of
the world, and disregards Christ!”
In 1971, Kenneth Taylor rendered the same verse in The Living Bible: “Don’t let anyone
lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from
human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ.”
In 1982, the Authorized Version of The King James Bible
got a facelift by Thomas Nelson Publishers and a new title, The New King James Version. Here is how
it translated the passage: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and
empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic
principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
In 1993, Eugene Peterson translated the same text in The Message: The New Testament in
Contemporary English: “Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big
words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless
arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the
empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings.
But that’s not the way of Christ.”
And in 1996, Taylor’s The
Living Bible was revised and retitled The
New Living Translation and gave the verse this way: “Don’t let others spoil your faith and joy with their
philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men’s thoughts and
ideas, instead of on what Christ has said.”
Bill Griffin, the translator of the deuterocanonical writings in The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition points out, “Catholics have been reading paraphrasal Bible translations since paraphrasal Bible translations began. But the only place they could find it was in books published by Protestants. Biblical paraphrase, apparently, is here to stay. The fact that it needs a face-lift every now and then isn’t really a sign of its senility or imbecility. Rather it’s the sign of our vibrant, ever-renewing language, the most flexible the world has ever known.”
Q: What are your
hopes for this publication?
We hope that The
Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition introduces this beautiful and
accessible version of the Bible to an entirely new audience of Catholics and
others who may never have experienced it because it did not contain all the
books of the Bible recognized by the Catholic Church. We also hope that it
introduces the wonderful writings of the deuterocanonical books of the Bible (the
books of Tobit, Judith, Baruch, One and Two Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and
additions to Esther and Daniel) to those who do not know them—including some who
may already be fans of the original editions of The Message. We would like to see The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition on the bed stand or bookshelf of Catholics and those of other
denominations who love the Scripture, sitting right next to their more
traditional and literal translations of the Bible. We hope that people will not
see The Message as an alternative to
other Bibles but rather as a valuable addition to the many resources available for
understanding the power and relevance of the Christian message for today.
Q: Do you have a
favorite verse or passage from The Message?
I have many, including: “The Word became
flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14).
I also love this very famous passage from
John translated by Eugene Peterson that sounds so fresh in The Message that it makes me reflect about what the Good News really
means for all of us:
“This is how much God loved the world: He
gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: So that no one need be
destroyed. By believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God
didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing
finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world
right again” (John 3:16-17).
As far as the new material for The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition, I
am especially fond of this passage from the Book of Wisdom as translated by
William Griffin:
“Just who is Wisdom and how did she come to
be? I’ll tell you. There’s no secret about God’s arrangements; I’ll take her
from her birth at the creation and place her in the light of today’s
knowledge—no fibs, no white lies, no equivocations, no mental reservations! I
could keep her history to myself, but I won’t; that wouldn’t be serving her
best interests. The wiser the world, the safer the population; the wiser the
kings, the more stable the kingdoms. To conclude, accept my invitation to meet
Wisdom—you’ve got nothing to lose” (Wisdom 6: 22-24).
For further information on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition
contact Gregory Pierce at 800-397-2282 or gpierce@actapublications.com.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Consuming the Word Chapter 3: The New Testament in the New Testament
Getting the terms right from the beginning is essential. The word "testament" which comes from the Latin is diatheke in Greek and is most often translated into English as "covenant." (The older Douay-Rheims is helpful here in that it translated the Latin novum testamentum as "new testament" and not "new covenant" in the institution narratives. See page 20 in Hahn's book for more on this.) Diatheke is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word for "covenant" which is berith. In the Old Testament, "New Testament" or berith chadasha appears only once, and that is in the famous passage found in Jeremiah 31:31. The covenants that God made with his people in the Old Testament form the basic identity of the children of Israel. These covenants were "normally marked by a solemn ritual oath, sealed with a blood sacrifice and. often, with a shared meal (18)." So, when Jeremiah prophesies a new covenant, he notes that it will indeed be new, but it won't be completely different or divorced from the pattern of the earlier covenants.
As stated earlier, "new covenant" is found six times in the Christian scriptures. Yet, the only place that Jesus mentions the "new covenant" is during the Last Supper. He doesn't use the term to denote a book, but rather a sacred bond initiated through a sacred meal (21). The beginning of his passion, which will inaugurate the "New Covenant," begins with a sacred passover meal with the apostles. "Thus, in Jesus's only use of the term, we find that 'New Testament' refers not to a text, but to a rite and to the new order brought about by means of that rite (22)." Even when the term "new testament/covenant" is found in the New Testament Letters is appears most often in relation to discussions on liturgy and priestly service (22). Therefore, according to Hahn, it is clear that "when the phrase 'new testament/covenant' appears in the document now known as the New Testament, it appears consistently amid the discussion of sacrificial liturgy and priestly office (23)."
Hahn concludes this section by pointing out that the only way a person could make the connection that the crucifixion of Jesus was a sacrifice, instead of simply a public execution, was the offering Jesus made during the Last Supper (24-25). The Last Supper explains the what and the why of the Good Friday death of Jesus.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Best Editions 2013
Here are mine:
NABRE:
HarperOne NABRE
*Brilliant page layout, exceptional maps section, and perfect size. Would likely be the next Bible I would get rebound by Leonard's. (That's not happening any time soon however.)
RSV-(2)CE:
Ignatius Press
*Not many options to choose from here.
RSV-CE:
CSSI RSV Bible (Saint Benedict Press)
*Even though it is missing cross-references, this edition has some great apologetics materials included, as well as being a joy to read due to it's large print.
Knox Bible:
Baronius Press
*I have talked enough about this Bible I think.
Douay-Rheims:
Baronius Press and/or Saint Benedict Press
*All depends on whether you want a classic or more modern looking Bible.
New Revised Standard Version
HarperOne NRSV Standard Catholic Edition
* Although this doesn't come with a lot of extras, the page formatting is a very readable, one-column setting.
New Jerusalem Bible
Darton,Longman & Todd Ltd (1994)
* This one is not easy to get a hold of on this side of the Atlantic, but I was able to get one when I was in Rome a few years back. It has all the NJB notes as well as some additional study materials in the appendix. It is also very compact. (Take note Ignatius Press.) However, I think it only comes in paperback.
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