Is the NAB's Nation-wide Use Likely to Change?

  • Thread starter Thread starter CatholicofAgora
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

CatholicofAgora

Guest
A friend of mine, knowing that I am not content with my current “Bible of choice” asked if I’d care if he’d buy me a new one. My answer? Of course not! 😛 However, my problem is that I am torn between requesting the RSV Ignatius Press Leather-bound pocket-sized edition. My favorite version is the NRSV, so a Catholic pocket version of the RSV would be the next best thing. However, since I’m highly into Bible-study I was also considering the St. Joseph, NAB Personal Size, Gift Edition Burgundy Bonded Leather, Zippered Bible. My question is: How long has the NAB been the official Bible version for Catholic Mass in the U.S., and how long do you suspect that it will be used? I’m not wasting my friend’s money on a Bible choice bound to change on the basis of popular usage, am I?
 
I do not like the NAB in any of its forms. Many of the key verses are softened or altered substantially so as not to explicitly support Catholic doctrine. Older Catholic bibles, even the NAB’s immediate predecessor (CCD “Confraternity” bible 1941-1969) do not demonstrate this deficiency. I believe that there was a misguided effort at ecumenism in the formulation of the NAB. One unintended consequence of this perhaps well-intentioned effort is that protestants have a hard time seeing Catholic doctrine - even in Catholic bibles.

With the reform going on within the Church at this time, I would not be surprised to see the RSV-2CE or even a newer translation introduced as standard. The NABRE, while an improvement, still disappoints. The NAB translation, being introduced in the 1970s, is as current as the BeeGees.

I would go with the RSV-2CE.
 
The NAB came into use with the first edition of the USA Lectionary in 1970. The 1998 second edition used the revised, 1986 NAB for part, and the 1970 NAB for other parts. The Canadian edition in 1992 was based on the NRSV and sparked a debate over inclusive language.

Unlike po18guy, I would be very surprised if the RSV in any form were accepted as the national Bible for the USA. The RSV family’s copyright is owned by the National Council of Churches, an ecumenical organization, which means that it is not a Catholic organization at all. EWTN hosts an “RSV-CE search” site which is extremely limited in its facilities, offers no footnotes, and no browseable index. The RSV-2CE is not legally available anywhere online.

By contrast, copyright to the NAB family of Bibles is owned by the Confraternity of Catholic Doctrine; permission is already granted for various reasonable non-commercial uses, and the USCCB hosts the entire NABRE Bible, footnotes and related verses and all, with an index, on their website for easy access by anyone who wants to study it.

No, unless the USCCB invents their own Bible sometime in the near future, I would predict that we are well locked-in to the NAB family for years to come.

But your solution is still easy! Move to Canada.
 
Elizium23 said:
Unlike po18guy, I would be very surprised if the RSV in any form were accepted as the national Bible for the USA. The RSV family’s copyright is owned by the National Council of Churches, an ecumenical organization, which means that it is not a Catholic organization at all. EWTN hosts an “RSV-CE search” site which is extremely limited in its facilities, offers no footnotes, and no browseable index. The RSV-2CE is not legally available anywhere online.

By contrast, copyright to the NAB family of Bibles is owned by the Confraternity of Catholic Doctrine; permission is already granted for various reasonable non-commercial uses, and the USCCB hosts the entire NABRE Bible, footnotes and related verses and all, with an index, on their website for easy access by anyone who wants to study it.

No, unless the USCCB invents their own Bible sometime in the near future, I would predict that we are well locked-in to the NAB family for years to come.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the information on the copyright. This makes me value my 1953 Confraternity bible even more. Sadly, we may be saddled with the NAB for some time, it seems. I would love to be surprised, though.
 
robertericleech said:
The 2nd Edition of the Ignatius Press RSV is excellent:

ignatius.com/Products/IB2-H/ignatius-bible-rsv-2nd-edition.aspx
Click to expand...
But, the Catholic editors missed one thing in it that I can find:
2 Corinthians 2:10
Saint Jerome, with no agenda save for obedience, translated this as Paul forgiving sins “in the person of Christ” Early protestant translations (KJV) preserve this, as does the Douay-Rheims and all other Catholic bibles, up to and including the Confraternity (CCD) bible that was used in the liturgy from 1941-1969.

The NAB and the RSV, (being based on protestant translations as I understand it), have Paul saying “in the *presence *of Christ” This is a huge difference, and renders the defense of the Catholic Priesthood more difficult from scripture. Additionally, how can a Christian forgive sins *outside *of the presence of Christ? This makes no sense.

RSV-3CE anyone?

For me, an update of the Douay-Rheims would be preferred.
 
po18guy said:
But, the Catholic editors missed one thing in it that I can find:
2 Corinthians 2:10
Saint Jerome, with no agenda save for obedience, translated this as Paul forgiving sins “in the person of Christ” Early protestant translations (KJV) preserve this, as does the Douay-Rheims and all other Catholic bibles, up to and including the Confraternity (CCD) bible that was used in the liturgy from 1941-1969.

The NAB and the RSV, (being based on protestant translations as I understand it), have Paul saying “in the *presence *of Christ” This is a huge difference, and renders the defense of the Catholic Priesthood more difficult from scripture. Additionally, how can a Christian forgive sins *outside *of the presence of Christ? This makes no sense.

RSV-3CE anyone?

For me, an update of the Douay-Rheims would be preferred.
Click to expand...
That’s *very *interesting…I hadn’t noticed that verse! That’s why I like having the Douay Rheims for comparison. I scored a mint copy from 1914 on Ebay a while back.
 
robertericleech said:
That’s *very *interesting…I hadn’t noticed that verse! That’s why I like having the Douay Rheims for comparison. I scored a mint copy from 1914 on Ebay a while back.
Click to expand...
Ditto! I never had a D-R before, so I sought out as old a copy as I could find. I am delighted with it. Maybe have a look at the CCD “Confraternity” bible. Far better than the NAB, and also very affordable used.
 
The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) is going to again be revised. The OT texts have already been revised and are part of that edition. The NT will be worked on with a few adjustments made to the OT, according to the BCDW May-June newsletter. One it is completed and approved by Rome a new edition of the Lectionary will be done. There is no set timeline for this project. But if the Roman Missal project is any indication, it could be awhile before we see this. The new revised NABRE will be for catechetical, study, and liturgical use in the diocesees of the US.
 
For more info on the NAB revision, the 6th link (the last one) of the USCCB 2012 Spring General Assembly Video On-Demand has the presentation of Archbishop Aymond of New Orleans and Cardinal Wuerl, starting around 1.31.00.
usccb.org/about/leadership/usccb-general-assembly/2012-june-meeting/video-on-demand.cfm

take care,
amsjj 🙂

Jesus, God and man,
imprisoned by love in Thy most holy Sacrament,
have mercy upon us.
  • Blessed John Henry Newman, December 22, 1851
Tú y yo sabemos por la fe que oculto en las especies sacramentales está Cristo,
ese Cristo con su Cuerpo, con su Sangre, con su Alma, y con su Divinidad,
prisonero de amor.
  • San Josemaría Escrivá, 1 junio 1974
… Our Lord Himself frequently said; and it is recorded as an Apostolic tradition from Him
by St. Justin the Martyr. He says ‘Jesus often said, “They who are near Me are near a fire”’.
  • Abp. W. B. Ullathorne, August 1st 1886
 
I am praying for a return to something more like the Douay Rheims (which I prefer). My wife has an Ignatius RVE and it is very different in many of its translations as compared to the DR.

Si I’ll stick with my DR. 😃
 
amsjj said:
For more info on the NAB revision, the 6th link (the last one) of the USCCB 2012 Spring General Assembly Video On-Demand has the presentation of Archbishop Aymond of New Orleans and Cardinal Wuerl, starting around 1.31.00.
usccb.org/about/leadership/usccb-general-assembly/2012-june-meeting/video-on-demand.cfm
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for this link. Was not aware that the NAB is to be revised yet again. While the goals sound noble, who knows what the objectives may be. It was interesting to hear one auxiliary bishop speak up in defense of “purity” of Scriptural translation.
 
It may take 30 years of pitched battle between the Holy See and the USCCB until the once and for all one NAB for use in all aspects–study–devotion–and liturgical use–will come about.

Can you imagine it–one bible that will actually MATCH what is used in the Liturgy?!

It is a shame that it will take this long–hopefully Pope Benedict will live to be the oldest Pope ever so the translation will be what American Catholics have hoped for ever since the Confraternity bible translation project was begun.

If completed even by 2020 it would mean that it took 50 years to FIX the NAB!

That is a shame for some Catholics who will have lived their entire lives with such a biblical translation fiasco!

My advice to any Catholics out there who want a somewhat accurate translation would be to get a Catholic bible from 1952 that would have the Douay Rheims Challoner Old Testament–the Confraternity New Testament–and a New English translation of the New Latin Psalms authorized by Pope Pius XII (Bea Psalter).

That particular combination of bible isn’t perfect–but it has conservative notes–and is the best update of the Bible since the Douay Rheims in my opinion.
 
Jerry-Jet said:
It may take 30 years of pitched battle between the Holy See and the USCCB until the once and for all one NAB for use in all aspects–study–devotion–and liturgical use–will come about.

Can you imagine it–one bible that will actually MATCH what is used in the Liturgy?!

It is a shame that it will take this long–hopefully Pope Benedict will live to be the oldest Pope ever so the translation will be what American Catholics have hoped for ever since the Confraternity bible translation project was begun.

If completed even by 2020 it would mean that it took 50 years to FIX the NAB!

That is a shame for some Catholics who will have lived their entire lives with such a biblical translation fiasco!

My advice to any Catholics out there who want a somewhat accurate translation would be to get a Catholic bible from 1952 that would have the Douay Rheims Challoner Old Testament–the Confraternity New Testament–and a New English translation of the New Latin Psalms authorized by Pope Pius XII (Bea Psalter).

That particular combination of bible isn’t perfect–but it has conservative notes–and is the best update of the Bible since the Douay Rheims in my opinion.
Click to expand...
The Confraternity (or CCD) bible is a great alternative to the still evolving NAB. It was continuously improved from 1941 until 1969, when the NAB took over. They are quite affordable on eBay. I have a 1953 vintage CCD bible, and like it very much.

Problem with the NAB is that it comes from the age of ecumenism and is not based on the Latin vulgate. “Hail, favored one” (Luke 1:28)??? Really, now. This does not even match the Hail, Mary prayer! I, for one, would be delighted with an updated D-R. Yet, there cannot be a single edition for all English-speaking nations, as there are just too many differences in our ‘common’ language.
 
I hope the Holy See MAKES the USCCB have the Hail Mary right.

I wish that the Holy See would appoint the translators instead of the bishops–then we would shorten probably at least 10 years of foolishness.

In my opinion the worst thing that ever happened was giving Episcopal Conferences say over bible translations.
 
Jerry-Jet said:
I hope the Holy See MAKES the USCCB have the Hail Mary right.

I wish that the Holy See would appoint the translators instead of the bishops–then we would shorten probably at least 10 years of foolishness.

In my opinion the worst thing that ever happened was giving Episcopal Conferences say over bible translations.
Click to expand...
I don’t think it matters. You could take 10 different translators and get 10 different translations, each probably involving a little creativity in how to structure the thought. And then 10 years laters those same 10 translators might come up with still a different version, based on further study of Greek and Latin or whatever.

There are 50 or so different English Bibles. And it is my understanding that most of them are copyrighted. So each new translator has to be different to some extent; otherwise he or she will be infringing on someone else’s copyrights. I’m not saying it’s wrong but each new translation is limited in some ways and may very well be further removed from the original. Just saying.
 
po18guy said:
Problem with the NAB is that it comes from the age of ecumenism and is not based on the Latin vulgate. “Hail, favored one” (Luke 1:28)??? Really, now. This does not even match the Hail, Mary prayer! I, for one, would be delighted with an updated D-R. Yet, there cannot be a single edition for all English-speaking nations, as there are just too many differences in our ‘common’ language.
Click to expand...
The NRSV had something similar and Rome had Canada revise it to read “Hail, full of grace.”
 
Phemie said:
The NRSV had something similar and Rome had Canada revise it to read “Hail, full of grace.”
Click to expand...
Certainly no theological distinctions might be read into “favored one” vs. “full of grace” 😃
 
I think that one thing that can be forgotten in the translation controversy is copyright status. If another Bible translation that still retains copyright has a passage using particular words, you can’t just give exactly the same translation, even if you came up with it independently, because it would be plagiarism. So the plethora of modern Bible translations out there really presents a dilemma for would-be translators when it comes to faithfully rendering the text according to the original languages and according to Church beliefs.
 
Elizium23 said:
I think that one thing that can be forgotten in the translation controversy is copyright status. If another Bible translation that still retains copyright has a passage using particular words, you can’t just give exactly the same translation, even if you came up with it independently, because it would be plagiarism. So the plethora of modern Bible translations out there really presents a dilemma for would-be translators when it comes to faithfully rendering the text according to the original languages and according to Church beliefs.
Click to expand...
Regrettably true, but how utterly ridiculous and ironic. As if people aren’t going to buy Bibles, the best selling book in the history of mankind, and as if the Word of God should be reduced to a profit margin analysis. Put this one at or near the top of the “sad but true” list.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top