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cgordon1957
Guest
I’m interested in purchasing a new Catholic bible. There are so many out there and I need a recommendation on which to purchase. I’d like one that is consistent with my Catholic faith. Any ideas?
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Scott_Lafrance
Guest
The Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) also called the Ignatius Bible and available through the Catholic Answers bookstore.
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Axion
Guest
Christian Community Bible - Catholic Pastoral Edition
is woth a look. It has good catholic footnotes. The NJB and NAB footnotes tend to be more Liberal in outlook.
is woth a look. It has good catholic footnotes. The NJB and NAB footnotes tend to be more Liberal in outlook.
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Fidelis
Guest
Allow me to consolidate a couple of my previous posts:
The NAB has been approved by the US Bishops as the Bible to be used in the Liturgy here, but there are a few other translations that are also approved. Most parish Bible studies will be based on the NAB or the RSV-CE.
No translation is perfect, as the translators often have to make choices based on several possibilities in how to convey the meaning of the original languages. It’s always good to have a few translations on hand to compare and get a feel for all the nuances lost in a single translation.
Both the NAB and the RSVCE have their strong and weak points, but neither one can to be said to be better, except as a matter personal preference. I think the NAB is a little easier to read because it is more like American English. It has a familiar feel because we hear it in Mass every week, and if you are in an RCIA or parish Bible study, most everyone will be using it. That’s mostly what I use it for. Some feel that it mangles the tradtional rendering of some Scripture passages that are important to us Catholics so it can cause some misunderstandings (Luke 1:28, for example). I’m not overly thrilled with the footnotes myself, as they sometimes seem to contradict Church teaching. Overall, however, it is considered a good translation and I wouldn’t discourage someone from using one.
The RSV-CE is a more elegant and inspiring rendering, in my opinion. It was intended as a modernization of the KJV, with which it shares many similarities. I’m no scholar, but I’m told by reliable sources it is a more accurate translation overall than the NAB. The Ignatius and *Sceptor * editions available now have very few footnotes, but sometimes that’s good if you just want to read with no distractions. Also, the best of today’s Bible teachers like Scott Hahn and Steve Ray use this edition, so if you listen to them it makes it easier to follow along. The two best Catholic Bible commentaries out there (the Navarre and the Ignatius Study Bible) both use this translation. The RSVCE is the translation used when Vatican documents are translated to English.
Having said that, the type on the RSV-CE is a little hard on the eyes, there isn’t much room in the margins for making notes, and I’ve heard compIaints about the quality of the construction. Still, I think it is a beautiful translation and it is the Bible I personally most use for both study and my private devotions.
Catholic Answers has a good tract on how to select a Bible:
Bible Translations Guide
catholic.com/library/Bible_Translations_Guide.asp
For more info, see the “Getting Started” article on my website below.
The NAB has been approved by the US Bishops as the Bible to be used in the Liturgy here, but there are a few other translations that are also approved. Most parish Bible studies will be based on the NAB or the RSV-CE.
No translation is perfect, as the translators often have to make choices based on several possibilities in how to convey the meaning of the original languages. It’s always good to have a few translations on hand to compare and get a feel for all the nuances lost in a single translation.
Both the NAB and the RSVCE have their strong and weak points, but neither one can to be said to be better, except as a matter personal preference. I think the NAB is a little easier to read because it is more like American English. It has a familiar feel because we hear it in Mass every week, and if you are in an RCIA or parish Bible study, most everyone will be using it. That’s mostly what I use it for. Some feel that it mangles the tradtional rendering of some Scripture passages that are important to us Catholics so it can cause some misunderstandings (Luke 1:28, for example). I’m not overly thrilled with the footnotes myself, as they sometimes seem to contradict Church teaching. Overall, however, it is considered a good translation and I wouldn’t discourage someone from using one.
The RSV-CE is a more elegant and inspiring rendering, in my opinion. It was intended as a modernization of the KJV, with which it shares many similarities. I’m no scholar, but I’m told by reliable sources it is a more accurate translation overall than the NAB. The Ignatius and *Sceptor * editions available now have very few footnotes, but sometimes that’s good if you just want to read with no distractions. Also, the best of today’s Bible teachers like Scott Hahn and Steve Ray use this edition, so if you listen to them it makes it easier to follow along. The two best Catholic Bible commentaries out there (the Navarre and the Ignatius Study Bible) both use this translation. The RSVCE is the translation used when Vatican documents are translated to English.
Having said that, the type on the RSV-CE is a little hard on the eyes, there isn’t much room in the margins for making notes, and I’ve heard compIaints about the quality of the construction. Still, I think it is a beautiful translation and it is the Bible I personally most use for both study and my private devotions.
Catholic Answers has a good tract on how to select a Bible:
Bible Translations Guide
catholic.com/library/Bible_Translations_Guide.asp
For more info, see the “Getting Started” article on my website below.
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AServantofGod
Guest
We have a New American Study Bible & a Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition. The NAB Study Bible is excellent for study but has lost much of the poetry which is still present in the RSVCE. So, I guess it depends on what you are searching for.
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