New American Bible Revised Edition without footnotes and a Douay Rheims with more features

[mymamamary]

**Dear Brothers and Sisters in the SACRED HEART!!

I wanted to know if there are any options for aquiring a New American Bible Revised Edition WITHOUT any of the footnotes in the St. Josephs or other editions for that matter.

Also, what would I have to do if I wanted St. Benedicts Press to “add” more features to their bibles, especially the Douay Rheims? I was thinking of something along the lines of a St. Josephs edition (With Picture art, lots of maps and diagrams and catholic devotions inside)**

 

[CalCatholic]

All NABRE Bibles are supposed to come with the notes. One option would be to buy a version like the large print Oxford NABRE Bible or the giant print St. Joseph edition NABRE Bible from Catholic Book Publishing Co. These two editions of the NABRE have placed the notes at the end of each book of the Bible, so maybe out of sight means out of mind.

 

[tvknight415]

The New African Bible uses the NABRE translation, but not the footnotes (or so the review on the Catholic Bibles Blog said).

 

[Gorgias]

I wanted to know if there are any options for aquiring a New American Bible Revised Edition WITHOUT any of the footnotes in the St. Josephs or other editions for that matter.

Silly question… they’re just footnotes; why is it important to get a Bible without one? You could just ignore them…

Also, what would I have to do if I wanted St. Benedicts Press to “add” more features to their bibles, especially the Douay Rheims? I was thinking of something along the lines of a St. Josephs edition (With Picture art, lots of maps and diagrams and catholic devotions inside)

Umm… buy a couple of Bibles? One for the translation, and another for its maps and diagrams?

 

[thistle]

All NABRE Bibles are supposed to come with the notes. One option would be to buy a version like the large print Oxford NABRE Bible or the giant print St. Joseph edition NABRE Bible from Catholic Book Publishing Co. These two editions of the NABRE have placed the notes at the end of each book of the Bible, so maybe out of sight means out of mind.

I hope the notes are substantially improved from the NAB. I haven’t heard anyone in these forums, including myself, that has a good word to say about the NAB footnotes.

 

[RPRPsych]

I hope the notes are substantially improved from the NAB. I haven’t heard anyone in these forums, including myself, that has a good word to say about the NAB footnotes.

Sadly (as someone who read the entire NAB-RE from cover to cover last year), I can confirm that this is not the case.

For example: The original NAB (1986), in its notes to Isaiah 7: 14, explicitly states that the prophecy is fulfilled only in Christ, and makes a passing mention of Hezekiah.

The NAB-RE, in its notes to the same verse, takes an agnostic stance (“we’re not sure who Isaiah referred to”), and at the end, makes the concession that “later Christian tradition interpreted it as referring to Christ.”

I love my large-print NAB-RE, but the footnotes are largely on my ignore list.

 

[thistle]

Sadly (as someone who read the entire NAB-RE from cover to cover last year), I can confirm that this is not the case.

For example: The original NAB (1986), in its notes to Isaiah 7: 14, explicitly states that the prophecy is fulfilled only in Christ, and makes a passing mention of Hezekiah.

The NAB-RE, in its notes to the same verse, takes an agnostic stance (“we’re not sure who Isaiah referred to”), and at the end, makes the concession that “later Christian tradition interpreted it as referring to Christ.”

I love my large-print NAB-RE, but the footnotes are largely on my ignore list.

That’s a pity. I don’t actually use my NAB anymore. I stick to the D-R with the Haydock Commentary.

 

[RPRPsych]

That’s a pity. I don’t actually use my NAB anymore. I stick to the D-R with the Haydock Commentary.

That’s a good one!

I also like the Ignatius and CSSB Bibles myself, which both use the RSV as a base text.

(And my sneaking favourite is the New Jerusalem, though it’s a little iffy in places… )

 

[thistle]

That’s a good one!

I also like the Ignatius and CSSB Bibles myself, which both use the RSV as a base text.

(And my sneaking favourite is the New Jerusalem, though it’s a little iffy in places… )

 

[COPLAND_3]

I have a couple of NAB Catholic Study Bibles that sit on my shelf that I won’t even give away because I don’t want anyone to be effected by the footnotes and intros, and I’ve considered throwing them away but not sure if that would be wrong or not. My opinion is very low concerning the footnotes and I am puzzled as to why its a Catholic Bible. It seems like a lot of modern scholarship leans more towards the Bible being some kind of randomly written contradiction filled collections of forgeries that somehow the Church holds to be inspired. That school of thought is a stumbling block for many people who are considering devoting their lives to the Faith, and I’m sure Augustine, Aquinas, Jerome, Chrysostom, etc are rolling in their graves knowing that such stuff is being passed off as Catholic thinking!

 

[David_Zampino]

My preferred Bible is the RSV-Catholic edition.

 

[Fidelis]

The best NAB ever published, in my opinion, was one published by a Protestant publisher, Zondervan. It was called “The Catholic Serendipity Bible”. It was the NAB, but didn’t have the notorious NAB footnotes. What it did have was lots of very helpful aides in reading the Bible including studies for individuals and groups and lots of questions on the text in the margins for personal reflection. I don’t know why they stopped publishing it, but if you ever find one used somewhere, grab it! I’ve got my copy and wouldn’t part with it for anything.



On a more hopeful note, I remember seeing an interview of one of the editors of the NABRE, and she said they might consider publishing a “pastoral edition” of the NABRE, i.e., with different, more practical notes. Something to keep in our prayers!

 

[po18guy]

Sadly (as someone who read the entire NAB-RE from cover to cover last year), I can confirm that this is not the case.

For example: The original NAB (1986), in its notes to Isaiah 7: 14, explicitly states that the prophecy is fulfilled only in Christ, and makes a passing mention of Hezekiah.

The NAB-RE, in its notes to the same verse, takes an agnostic stance (“we’re not sure who Isaiah referred to”), and at the end, makes the concession that “later Christian tradition interpreted it as referring to Christ.”

I love my large-print NAB-RE, but the footnotes are largely on my ignore list.

Consistent with the notes for Luke 1:45 and following. The compiler assumes that Luke essentially made up Mary’s Magificat because it would fit nicely about there in scripture. Actually, Mary’s soul does not magnify the Lord in the NAB/RE. Neither is she full of grace. And on and on. The situation cries out for a new translation, but the USCCB generates operating funds from the sale of the NAB/RE, so that is not likely to happen.

 

[po18guy]

**Dear Brothers and Sisters in the SACRED HEART!!

I wanted to know if there are any options for aquiring a New American Bible Revised Edition WITHOUT any of the footnotes in the St. Josephs or other editions for that matter.

Also, what would I have to do if I wanted St. Benedicts Press to “add” more features to their bibles, especially the Douay Rheims? I was thinking of something along the lines of a St. Josephs edition (With Picture art, lots of maps and diagrams and catholic devotions inside)**

With the exception of the maps, what you are searching for may be found in the 1953 Belmont Abbey “Catholic Action Edition” of the Confraternity Bible. Long out of print, it is frequently available on eBay. The New Testament, in particular, is simply excellent. The OT is a mix of Douay and the 20th century Confraternity translations of the Vulgate. It is a large bible (7.25" X 10.5") which contains 13 pages on “Catholics and the Bible”, 6 pages on “A background to the Bible”, a 21 page manual of prayers, a 32 page pictorial of the Bible Lands, a 32 page full-page photo and text description of the Latin Mass, a 16 page illustrated “Way of the Cross”, a 35 page illustrated Rosary - 15 mysteries, an 8 page photo depiction of the Sacraments, a 72 page doctrinal guide, and finally, several pages on the lay apostolate. Oh, and it is filled throughout with black and white drawings and has a color photograph section by some of the great masters, which is highlighted by the haunting and eerily beautiful depictions of Christ by Heinrich Hofmann. The downside is the age, fairly scant (but solid) footnotes and the lack of maps. There are 17 currently listed on eBay, from $12.95 and up.

 

[David_Zampino]

The best NAB ever published, in my opinion, was one published by a Protestant publisher, Zondervan. It was called “The Catholic Serendipity Bible”. It was the NAB, but didn’t have the notorious NAB footnotes. What it did have was lots of very helpful aides in reading the Bible including studies for individuals and groups and lots of questions on the text in the margins for personal reflection. I don’t know why they stopped publishing it, but if you ever find one used somewhere, grab it! I’ve got my copy and wouldn’t part with it for anything.

http://images.betterworldbooks.com/031/Nab-Catholic-Serendipity-Bible-9780310937388.jpg

On a more hopeful note, I remember seeing an interview of one of the editors of the NABRE, and she said they might consider publishing a “pastoral edition” of the NABRE, i.e., with different, more practical notes. Something to keep in our prayers!

There are a couple of major publishing houses that cater to both the Catholic and the Protestant market. Zondervan is one; InterVarsityPress is another. I highly recommend their “Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture”, especially if you are interested in how the Church Fathers interpreted the text.