Catholic Study Bible - NABRE

[Dovekin]

My worry is always to be certain that I am using a Bible (with editors) that is completely faithful to Catholic teaching.

my main problem is trying to avoid NABRE commentary, which is criticized for modernist themes and the historical critical perspective.

You appear to be working at cross purposes.

The NABRE was produced under the direction and participation of the US Catholic bishops. Those bishops have assured that it is “completely faithful to Catholic teaching.” It is arguably an act of their teaching office, so surely it would be the choice for US Catholics who want something faithful to Catholic teaching.

“The historical-critical method is the indispensable method for the scientific study of the meaning of ancient texts.” This is from the Pontifical Biblical Commission’s The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church (1993). The PBC is composed of bible scholars who were chosen by the Pope to address the study of Scripture. Their 1993 document looks at a number of methods of interpretation. In their estimation, the historical critical method is indispensable. This means any bible that avoids the historical critical method is NOT completely faithful to Catholic teaching. Likely all of the commentaries you have looked at use it to some degree, because it truly cannot be ignored by a modern commentary. Aversion to historical criticism is at cross purposes to finding translation and commentary that are faithful to Catholic teaching.

The NABRE suffers from another problem. Far more people complain about traffic in NYC than in Boise Idaho. Similarly, far more people complain about the NABRE or historical criticism not because they are more flawed, but because they are used more.