Navarre vs Collegeville?

[Sheeniac]

Does anyone have any opinions on the Navarre vs the Collegeville commentaries?

Thanks! Juli

 

[Fidelis]

Let me put it this way: when I first started sudying the Scriptures, I sampled a wide variety of commentaries and other resources. Twenty years later, I have two commentaries from the vast Collegeville library which I rarely reference, but I have all of the Navarre series and I refer to them everyday, especially when putting together Bible studies.

The Collegeville series, while I have seen a helpful note or two therein, just left me cold. It leans too much toward a critical Scripture approach that sucks all the life and wonder out of God’s Holy Word. And some of the exercises or presentations you find there, on the other hand, are annoyingly silly and touchy feely.

The Navarre, in contrast, while not as scholarly based (though it is that too), feeds both my mind and my soul. I can recommend it unreservedly.

 

[Robbinson]

Let me put it this way: when I first started sudying the Scriptures, I sampled a wide variety of commentaries and other resources. Twenty years later, I have two commentaries from the vast Collegeville library which I rarely reference, but I have all of the Navarre series and I refer to them everyday, especially when putting together Bible studies.

The Collegeville series, while I have seen a helpful note or two therein, just left me cold. It leans too much toward a critical Scripture approach that sucks all the life and wonder out of God’s Holy Word. And some of the exercises or presentations you find there, on the other hand, are annoyingly silly and touchy feely.

The Navarre, in contrast, while not as scholarly based (though it is that too), feeds both my mind and my soul. I can recommend it unreservedly.

I also have both. I have the Collegville electonrically and it for commentary on specific verses. But I read the Navarre daily and find it rich and “living”.

Blessings,

Brian

 

[Sheeniac]

Interesting… I only have the Collegeville Genesis right now, although I am getting about 20 different ones from paperbackswap.com . I have all the Navarre ones on my wish list there.

The Scripture class I am in used the Genesis one, and while I know that the J/P/E/D approach is probably the most popular way of studying Scripture, I find it detracts a bit from it. I’ve found things in the Collegeville which I haven’t agreed with, even with my limited knowledge. I’ve even found things in the NAB footnotes that strike me as less than fully correct.