The USCCB Approved Bibles List

An anonymous reader commented in a prior post about the official list of approved Bible translations on the USCCB website. As noted, the revised NAB OT is already on the list. We now just have to wait for the re-revised Psalms to be completed and approved. Here is the full list for your reading pleasure:

USCCB Approved Translations of the Sacred Scriptures: 1991 – Present

Books of the New Testament, Alba House

Contemporary English Version - New Testament, First Edition, American Bible Society

Contemporary English Version - Book of Psalms, American Bible Society

Contemporary English Version - Book of Proverbs, American Bible Society

The Grail Psalter (Inclusive Language Version), G.I.A. Publications

New American Bible, Revised Old Testament

New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, National Council of Churches The Psalms, Alba House

The Psalms (New International Version) – St. Joseph Catholic Edition, Catholic Book Publishing Company

The Psalms – St. Joseph New Catholic Version, Catholic Book Publishing Company

Revised Psalms of the New American Bible (I would assume the '91 NAB Psalms)

So You May Believe, A Translation of the Four Gospels, Alba House

Today's English Version, Second Edition, American Bible Society

Translation for Early Youth, A Translation of the New Testament for Children, Contemporary English Version, American Bible Society

The Ascension of the Lord

He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’ Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God. - Luke 24:46-53

Ignatius Press Top 10 So Far

According to the Ignatius Scoop blog, the top ten sellers at Ignatius Press for 2010 are:

1. Be a Man! by Fr. Larry Richards
2. Heart of the Christian Life by Pope Benedict XVI
3. The Loser Letters by Mary Eberstadt
4. An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr. Gabriele Amorth
5. Theophilos by Michael D. O'Brien
6. Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI
7. Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn
8. 7 Secrets of the Eucharist by Vinny Flynn
9. Ignatius Bible (RSV-CE2, Leather)
10. Ignatius bible (RSV-CE2)

Many of the selections are not surprising really. I know that the Fr. Larry Richards book is selling well and being used in a number of Catholic men's groups, like the one I am a part of. Jesus of Nazareth will continue to be a best seller, probably even more so as volume two is released later this summer. It is also nice to see that two editions of the RSV-2CE are on the chart. I wonder how this list will change once the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament is released in a few weeks? I have pre-ordered my edition, and I look forward to providing a review sometime in June.

"Jesus of Nazareth Part II" is on the Way

According to the Vatican, the sequel to Pope Benedict's popular 2007 release Jesus of Nazareth has been completed and sent to the publishers. This edition will focus on the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus and picks up where the first volume left off. It is believed that it will still be a few months until we see Jesus of Nazareth II in English, perhaps by the end of the summer.

This gives us all plenty of time to re-read the first book over the next few months. If interested, we could have a little book discussion on this blog, examining each chapter of part I in detail. Hmm.....

A New NRSV Study Bible?

Reader diakonos09 spotted a listing for The NRSV Study Bible which is set for publication in June 2010. I did a little looking around as well and found a couple of sites that listed the publication date for June 2011. In all listings, Harold W. Attridge, who edited the most recent edition of the HarperCollins Study Bible, is the editor listed for this volume and the publisher is HarperOne. As of yet, there is no listing of this new edition on either the HarperCollins/One website or the NRSV.net site. My guess for publication date would be 2011, but who knows. One would think that if they were going to be publishing "the" NRSV Study Bible, they would have started publicizing the product by now.

I wonder if there are looking to re-brand the older Society Of Biblical Literature HCSB as The NRSV Study Bible, much like the ESV Study Bible and the NLT Study Bible. We shall see. Hmmm.....

Catholic Men's Bible

One area of Catholic Bibles that has yet to receive the attention it deserves is the need for a Catholic men's devotional Bible. The Catholic men's movement has been growing each year, with new conferences and fellowships popping up all over the place. Here in the metro Detroit area, where I live, each year the Archdiocese of Detroit holds a men's conference that attracts thousands of attendees. As a matter of fact, this year's conference has expanded and will be the first which will encompass all of the state of Michigan. I am also involved in a men's fellowship group that meets twice a month at a local parish.

This got me to thinking a bit about men's devotional Bibles. I know that there are a number of good, though primarily Protestant men's Bibles out there on the market, most notably in the NLT and NIV translations. Yet, there are, as far as I know, no Catholic Men's Bible available. On the other hand, however, a few Catholic Women's Bibles are available, most notably the Catholic Women's Devotional Bible NRSV from Zondervan. My wife has used it in the past, and when I had a chance to look at it I liked the overall format and additional devotional material included in it. I thought it was a very nicely put together edition. Are there any Catholic women out there who use this edition?

So, I guess we will see if there will ever be a Catholic Men's Bible on the market. One would guess that it is inevitable right? However, one would also assume that there would be at least a few premium leather Catholic Bibles on the market as well as a standard NRSV which comes with cross-references but, of course, we know how that goes!

The C.S. Lewis Bible.....Really?

Yes, it is true. HarperOne will be publishing The C.S. Lewis Bible in October. This hardcover edition will contain the NRSV translation and total around 1600 pages. In addition, this Bible will contain: "Over 600 Scripture-linked devotional readings from Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and other classics---plus Lewis's letters, poetry, and less-familiar works as well as an introductory essays and presentation page." If you are interested in checking out some sample pages, go here.

While I am grateful to HarperCollins/One for their recent revival of the NRSV in attractive editions, but is this really necessary? This seems to be continuing the trend from HarperOne, with the publication of particular theme oriented Bibles like the Green Bible and Catholic Faith and Family Bible.

Perhaps they will come out with The J.R.R. Tolkien Bible when The Hobbit movie is released? ;)