Upcoming Ignatius Catholic Study Bible OT Titles

Joshua:

The 19th volume in the popular Bible study series leads readers through a penetrating study of the Book of Joshua using the biblical text itself and the Church's own guidelines for understanding the Bible.

Ample notes accompany each page, providing fresh insights by renowned Bible teachers Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, as well as time-tested interpretations from the Fathers of the Church. They provide rich historical, cultural, geographical or theological information pertinent to the Old Testament book - information that bridges the distance between the biblical world and our own.

It also includes Topical Essays, Word Studies and Charts. The Topical Essays explore the major themes of Joshua, often relating them to the teachings of the Church. The Word Studies explain the background to important Bible terms, while the Charts summarize crucial biblical information "at a glance".

Judges and Ruth:

The 20th volume in the popular Bible study series leads readers through a penetrating study of the Books of Judges and Ruth using the biblical text itself and the Church's own guidelines for understanding the Bible.

Ample notes accompany each page, providing fresh insights by renowned Bible teachers Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, as well as time-tested interpretations from the Fathers of the Church. They provide rich historical, cultural, geographical or theological information pertinent to the Old Testament book - information that bridges the distance between the biblical world and our own.

It also includes Topical Essays, Word Studies and Charts. The Topical Essays explore the major themes of Judges and Ruth, often relating them to the teachings of the Church. The Word Studies explain the background to important Bible terms, while the Charts summarize crucial biblical information "at a glance".

(Thanks again to reader James for spotting these.)

Summer Blowout Winner

Thank you to all who entered.  After using an online random number generator, the winner of this contest is Eric Barczak. Eric, you have one week to email me, mccorm45(at)yahoo(dot)com, to claim your prize.  Congrats!

Sunday Knox: Zechariah 9:9-10

Knox: 
Glad news for thee, widowed Sion; cry out for happiness, Jerusalem forlorn! See where thy king comes to greet thee, a trusty deliverer; see how lowly he rides, mounted on an ass, patient colt of patient dam!  Chariots of thine, Ephraim, horses of thine, Jerusalem, shall be done away, bow of the warrior be unstrung; peace this king shall impose on the world, reigning from sea to sea, from Euphrates to the world’s end.

NAB:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

NABRE: 
Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; The warrior’s bow will be banished, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

New Didache Bible from Ignatius Press

Thank you to reader James for the heads up!

Available October 2014.

The Didache Bible presents extensive commentaries on all books of the Holy Bible based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It includes the complete text of Sacred Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, using the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. This Bible version is considered by many Catholic leaders and authors, including Peter Kreeft and Scott Hahn, as the most beautiful English translation of the Bible today.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Twenty-seven full-color biblical maps, including the journeys of Jesus Christ.
• Common questions about the Faith answered in 106 apologetical explanations.
• Comprehensive, forty-four-page glossary and a topical index.
• Available in leather or hardcover
• Useful for students and adults studying Scripture.
• Ideal for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Catholic Faith.
• Accessible by all people in its level of scriptural scholarship.
• Large 6" x 9" size
• Gilded edges and a placeholder ribbon on the leather edition
• Both editions are sewn

Fr. Barron on Bill Maher and Biblical Interpretation

The Board of Editors for the NABRE Revised NT

According to the list of abstracts for the upcoming Catholic Biblical Association annual meeting, which takes place at the end of the month, the following scholars will be on the editorial board for the upcoming revision of the NABRE NT:

Harold W. Attridge, Jr., Yale Divinity School 
Mary Healy, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI.
Christopher Ciccarino, Seton Hall University
Felix Just, S.J., Loyola Institute for Spirituality
Donald W. Trautman, Bishop of Erie 

Mary Sperry, liaison with the USCCB 


At the above mentioned meeting, there will be a round table discussion to "introduce the project to revise the New American Bible New Testament, undertaken by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. The Board of Editors for the project will be available to present the process to be used, the rationale for the project, the approved principles of translation, and opportunities for input into the revision project."

Oxford NABRE Large Print

As has been mentioned on this blog on numerous occasions, we Catholics do not have anywhere near the number of quality, premium leather Bibles that our Protestant brothers and sisters do.  I dare say that we may have a handful at best.  The NABRE, like the other Catholic translations, can be found in plenty of paperback and hardcover editions, not to mention what seems like an infinite number of pseudo and imitation leather editions.  One would think that of all the Catholic translations, the NABRE, since it sold by a number of different publishers would, but alas that is not the case.

There is, however, one company that has produced the NABRE in genuine leather, that being Oxford University Press.  In the past, they have offered genuine leather NAB's in their study bibles, compact editions, readers editions, and large print ones.  When the NABRE was published back in 2011, I was expecting the same treatment.  Except for the large print version, this has yet to happen.

As a matter of fact, I was truly looking forward to the readers edition of the NABRE, much like the NAB, but they seem to not have bothered even publishing one.  Which is a real shame, since the text was extremely readable, with the notes and cross-references delegated to the back of each biblical book.  Therefore, it was an edition that would be perfect for spiritual reading and lectio divina.

The Catholic Study Bible seems to have also received very little attention.  Not only has it not been updated in its reading guides, but it is not available in genuine leather either.  All previous editions had been, which is a real shame.

So, this leads me to the NABRE Large Print from Oxford, which is covered in a marbled genuine leather.  It isn't the smooth and flexible one that they covered the NOAB NRSV 4th Edition in, but it is actually genuine leather and not bonded.   It is almost identical to the genuine leather RSV-CE readers edition that came out about 10 years ago.  Dei Verbum is included with the biblical text and the notes/cross-references. The box it came in, as well as some sellers, mention that the full lectionary readings are included, this is not the case.  The compact NABRE and the Catholic Study Bible editions do contain all weekday and Sunday lectionary readings.

The binding is also sewn.  As you can see with the photos, the text is very readable, the notes and cross-references being placed at the back of each book.  This makes it good for prayerful reading or for teaching. The gold gild edges give it a classy look to it, as well as the gold ribbon marker.  Some people don't like the Oxford tabs, but I think they are just fine.

Overall, this may be one of the nicest NABRE bibles in print.   I would dare say that it may be the most luxurious, if I may say so, Catholic bible in print today.  The only bibles that would come would be from Baronius Press, that being either their Knox or Douay editions.  The NRSV's from HarperOne are close, but unfortunately they are often printed on super-thin paper and wrapped in cheap imitation leather.

So, if you are looking for a genuine leather Catholic Bible, without having it rebound, I'd recommend this edition.