New Copy of the Bible

[Razanir]

Not sure where these questions would actually go, so I’m just putting them here. I have 2 Bible questions:

1. My Bible’s is kinda bad shape. As in barely attached to the spine and 2 pages are almost loose bad shape. Is there any special way I’m supposed to dispose of a Bible or can I just recycle it?
2. I read in a different thread here that apparently the footnotes in the New American Bible are borderline heretic. Are they? And if so, which translation should I get instead?

 

[Trishie]

If what you have heard is true, why does it have Vatican support in that it is available at this Vatican site?
vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/_INDEX.HTM
It therefore becomes a question of whether or not those who claim it has heretical elements is correct, or…(but personally I’d have to trust the Vatican source.)
In any case, may the Holy Spirit guide you.

 

[po18guy]

IMO, the NAB is not the best bible for a Catholic. I find it difficult to demonstrate Catholic doctrine from it, since it is a “soft” translation - almost protestant. If you like the older English language, the Douay-Rheims is the Catholic classic. The Revised Standard Version - Second Catholic Edition is much better as I read it. Also known as the Ignatius bible it is an excellent day-to-day bible.

 

[Julia_Mae]

1. I read in a different thread here that apparently the footnotes in the New American Bible are borderline heretic. Are they? And if so, which translation should I get instead?

This depends on if you want to get your information about the footnotes and their reliability from someone who posts on an internet forum, or from the Catholic Church that did the translation and authorized it for use by American Catholics? Do you think the US Conference of Catholic Bishops would post the "borderline heretic"al on their website for us to use? Do you think the Pope would allow it?

I trust the Church in this matter.

 

[KCCatechist]

You may consider getting your current bible repaired else I would recommend looking for a copy of the DRC and hayduke commentary.

 

[albertus_magnus]

Like someone already said, it would be odd if the USCCB put a heretical translation on their website, and the Vatican did the same.

IMO, the NAB is not the best bible for a Catholic. I find it difficult to demonstrate Catholic doctrine from it, since it is a “soft” translation - almost protestant. If you like the older English language, the Douay-Rheims is the Catholic classic. The Revised Standard Version - Second Catholic Edition is much better as I read it. Also known as the Ignatius bible it is an excellent day-to-day bible.

I also highly recommend the RSV-2CE.

 

[WoundedIcon]

RSV-CE or 2CE is best, maybe the ESV with Apocrypha as well, if you don’t mind a hardback. The NAB doesn’t read well, and yes, some of the footnotes and book intros are suspect. A simple Google search will provide examples.

 

[RPRPsych]

The NAB isn’t heretical - it just gives far too much room to the results of modern historical-critical scholarship, with the result that speculations are often presented as facts.

If you’re looking for a good Catholic Bible, I’d recommend - in ascending order of orthodoxy and usefulness:

1. The Jerusalem Bible - a good translation that came out in 1966 and is still in print. Used in the lectionary in most Commonwealth countries. However, the full version (with notes) is no longer available, and the “Readers’ Edition” only has brief introductions and few cross-references, making it difficult to use for serious study.
2. The Catholic Scripture Study Bible (CSSB) - this is basically a Revised Standard Version (RSV-CE) with apologetic essays that help to answer common questions about the Catholic Church. The notes are historical-critical, but not overly so, and generally reflect “moderate” rather than “liberal” biblical scholarship. Once again, though, the lack of cross-references is a problem. Available from St. Benedict’s Press. Recommended.
3. The RSV-2CE (Ignatius Bible), which corrects the RSV-CE in several places, has great cross-references, and reproduces the notes of the RSV-CE. A useful complement to this is the Ignatius Study Bible, which provides in-depth notes and essays for the entire New Testament. Highly recommended.

If you’re okay with “modern” Biblical scholarship, then I would recommend - as an alternative to the clunky NAB:

1. The New Jerusalem Bible: This one has some of the same issues as the NAB - inclusive language, and a strong dependence on modern speculations in some of the notes. However, it takes a much more orthodox position on the New Testament, reads very well, and the formatting is beautiful and extremely easy on the eyes. It’s also got some of the best cross-references and study aids for a one-volume Catholic Bible. Edited by Fr. Henry Wansbrough, who was a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. Highly recommended, with the caveats mentioned above.

 

[Pilgrim1701]

Off on a tangent, but I was kind of surprised that the only English Bible on the Vatican Website was the NAB. I thought they would have others on there, especially when they are available elsewhere on the internet. I prefer standard UK English, spelling and grammar.
And when you consider it isn’t approved for liturgical use, not without caveats, and not widely used outside the USA:shrug:And the NAB:RE isn’t used at all for the lectionary as far as I know. Even with the Jerusalem Bible, the Grail Psalter is used for the lectionary.
(Although I bought CTS Bible, simply because it had the JB translation with Grail Psalter so reads the same as the readings for mass ,I have DR,KJV, NRSV, NJB also)
I really wish we could settle on one standard translation, common to the lectionary. Any debates about certain passages and alternative renderings could be confined to footnotes.
Do other languages have a plethora of Bible translations also. I mean does Spain have a translation and Mexico a different lectionary?

 

[Joe_5859]

Off on a tangent, but I was kind of surprised that the only English Bible on the Vatican Website was the NAB.

The USCCB owns the copyright on the NAB and the NABRE. I’m willing to bet they let the Vatican place the NAB on their website at little to no cost. The copyright holders of other translations may not have been willing to do that. Or maybe the Vatican just decided to go with the English translation that is actually owned by the bishops and didn’t even try any others. Who knows?

I think that on this forum, the faults of the NAB tend to get overstated. It’s not as literal a translation as say the RSV:CE, but it’s far from a paraphrase. And I don’t think anyone is going to venture off into heresy by reading it.

The main problems are with the notes (not the translation itself). As RPRPsych, my main problem with them is that they present speculation about authorship, dating, etc. as though it is fact. Sure, it is one possibility – one that many, if not most, modern day scholars hold. And I know they have their reasons for those opinions. But it’s far from a unanimous consensus.

My opinion (for whatever it’s worth) is that uncritically disseminating such theories to the average layman without much additional explanation is potentially problematic (potentially, though it may not always or even often cause problems). I like the way the Ignatius Study Bible handles things better. Even though it is clear that they hold to a certain perspective, they still let people know about the other perspectives.

As far as what translation you want to get, that depends on what you’re looking for. I don’t think getting the NAB (or NABRE) is going to lead you into heresy. It’s probably the most readable Catholic translation in English. I think the RSV:CE is pretty readable, too. That’s my preferred translation. A lot of people like the Douay-Rheims. If you like the older language (lots of thees and thous), then you might like it.

As far as your current Bible, I have several Bibles in bad shape. I still hold onto them, though. A loose cover and couple of loose pages still seems like pretty good shape to me. If you really want to free up your shelf space, though, you could always give it to your priest. He’ll know what to do with it.

 

[HillbillyHermit]

Not sure where these questions would actually go, so I’m just putting them here. I have 2 Bible questions:

1. My Bible’s is kinda bad shape. As in barely attached to the spine and 2 pages are almost loose bad shape. Is there any special way I’m supposed to dispose of a Bible or can I just recycle it?
2. I read in a different thread here that apparently the footnotes in the New American Bible are borderline heretic. Are they? And if so, which translation should I get instead?

For question one this link should be of help, from right here on the Catholic Answers site:
catholic.com/quickquestions/what-is-the-appropriate-means-to-dispose-of-an-old-bible

Question 2 will likely open a big ol’ can o’ worms. In my opinion, trust the Church. If our Bishops have approved a translation it won’t steer you wrong. I’ll read the NAB, RSV-CE, GNT-CE, and DRB. A lot depends on how you plan on reading the Bible. Is it for study, prayer, or devotional reading? To help you, there’s another good link to check out right here on CA:
catholic.com/tracts/bible-translations-guide

And here’s a list at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ site of approved translations from 1991-present:
usccb.org/bible/approved-translations/

 

[Zenkai]

1. My Bible’s is kinda bad shape. As in barely attached to the spine and 2 pages are almost loose bad shape. Is there any special way I’m supposed to dispose of a Bible or can I just recycle it?

Put it on you bookshelf and let it be.

1. I read in a different thread here that apparently the footnotes in the New American Bible are borderline heretic. Are they? And if so, which translation should I get instead?

Yes, the NAB footnotes are very liberal, so are the JB and NJB. I recommend the Douay Rheims, the Knox, or the RSV-2CE. The RSV-2CE only has a few liberal notes, the Douay Rheims and the Knox don’t have any that I’m aware of.