Which Catholic Bible is best for a non-Catholic to begin studying the Bible?

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This forum is spurring me on to give both reading and studying the Bible another go.

I now want to get a specifically Catholic Bible, but I’m quite confused as to which might be most suitable for study, particularly given I’m non-Catholic and so often find some Bibles very difficult to use or read.

So, any suggestions are welcome. I live near to at least two Catholic bookshops so it shouldn’t be too hard to get one.
 
Aelred_Minor said:
Seconded. 👍

Though the abbreviation I’ve more often seen is RSV-2CE
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Thirded, with a caveat.

This is the modern translation which is regarded as most “literal”, in the sense that it translates the words directly without adapting them for current usage. Thus the English can be more difficult to read.

Two very good, and approved, Catholic bibles which are less literal in the translations are:
  • NAB (New American Bible), and
  • Jerusalem Bible
 
Simply for reading, I’d go with this: amazon.com/Ignatius-Bible-Revised-Standard-Catholic/dp/0898708338/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373414655&sr=1-1&keywords=rsv+ignatius

If you’re looking for a study Bible with scholarly commentary, I have two recommendations:
  1. The Navarre Bible
  2. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible
These two study Bibles are sold in a number of volumes. Here are the links for the New Testament volumes of each (the multiple Old Testament volumes will be easy enough to locate on Amazon once you start looking):

amazon.com/Navarre-Bible-New-Testament-Expanded/dp/1594170754/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373415029&sr=1-1&keywords=navarre+bible

amazon.com/Ignatius-Catholic-Study-Bible-Testament/dp/1586172506/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373415064&sr=1-1&keywords=ignatius+catholic+study+bible
 
Edmundus1581 said:
Thirded, with a caveat.

This is the modern translation which is regarded as most “literal”, in the sense that it translates the words directly without adapting them to modern usage. Thus the English can be more difficult to read.

Two very good, and approved, Catholic bibles which are less literal in the translations are:
  • NAB (New American Bible), and
  • Jerusalem Bible
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In the case of the New American Bible, there are also footnotes and introductory materials which are rather controversial within the Catholic Church. For this reason I would hesitate to recommend it (or others like the Navarre Bible or even my favorite, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible) to a non-Catholic. He or she would be likely to take those footnotes as representing typical Catholic interpretations or approaches to the Bible when that is not always the case.

Then again even the RSV-2CE has some such questionable footnotes. Like reading Parthians into the book of Revelation :rolleyes:. Perhaps the best thing would just be to give the warning that the fact of such footnotes appearing in an approved translation does not make those things official Church positions or anything like universal Catholic beliefs.
 
There are plenty of “Catholic” commentaries out there whose notes are downright subversive. No study Bible is perfect, but in my experience–and I’m quite conservative–the Navarre and Ignatius study Bible are about as good as it gets. The Navarre cites mostly the Church Fathers and Catholic tradition in it’s commentary. No matter what commentary you’re using the commentators’ own views will inevitably be reflected to some degree. Still, I feel perfectly confident recommending these (the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible and the Navarre Bible) to a non-Catholics and Catholics alike; the scholarship is sound, and if any questions arise in the reader’s mind as to what is or what is not consistent with the universal Catholic doctrine, that’s what Catholic Answers is here for…
 
Edmundus1581 said:
Thirded, with a caveat.

This is the modern translation which is regarded as most “literal”, in the sense that it translates the words directly without adapting them for current usage. Thus the English can be more difficult to read.
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Fourthed, but with a second caveat. If you like informal pronouns (thee, thou, thy, thine) like I do, you might look at the RSV-CE (1st edition, not 2nd edition). I’m using it for a 60-day Bible readthrough and enjoying the translation. It’s not difficult to read, in my opinion, at least. But yeah, overall, I’d recommend either the RSV-CE or RSV-2CE for a modern, fairly easy to read, fairly literal translation.

My other advice, and this is more about reading the Bible than choosing a translation. Don’t read it cover to cover, and don’t even necessarily read every book. If you’re reading to to learn more about Catholicism, some books will be more useful than others. John contains the ever-famous John 3:16, as well as the Bread of Life discourse in John 6. Luke contains the fullest description of the Nativity, which would also be good to read. I would also recommend Genesis and Exodus to see how this all began. Finally I would recommend 1 Corinthians, because it includes the Eucharist, the heart of the Mass, which itself is the heart of Catholic worship. On the other hand, you can probably skip some books like Leviticus if you’re just reading to learn about Catholicism.
 
I still love the Jerusalem, the footnotes are excellent. I would recommend for it for non-Catholics unfamiliar with the scriptures. Peace, Carlan
 
Edmundus1581 said:
Thirded, with a caveat.

This is the modern translation which is regarded as most “literal”, in the sense that it translates the words directly without adapting them for current usage. Thus the English can be more difficult to read.

Two very good, and approved, Catholic bibles which are less literal in the translations are:
  • NAB (New American Bible), and
  • Jerusalem Bible
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Really? I think the RSV is far more readable than either of the other two. . . .

Sally
 
I’d recommend:

RSV Catholic Edition (first or second)
Jerusalem Bible
 
Aelred_Minor said:
In the case of the New American Bible, there are also footnotes and introductory materials which are rather controversial within the Catholic Church. For this reason I would hesitate to recommend it (or others like the Navarre Bible or even my favorite, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible) to a non-Catholic. He or she would be likely to take those footnotes as representing typical Catholic interpretations or approaches to the Bible when that is not always the case.
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Could you list some examples or post a link with examples if possible? I have an NAB Bible that I got mainly for the deuterocanonical/ apocryphal books, but still like to go through some of the introductions and footnotes.
 
I also suggest the Jerusalem Bible. Don’t confuse it with other, different versions with similar names!
 
tvknight415 said:
I’d recommend:

RSV Catholic Edition (first or second)
Jerusalem Bible
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I would second this and add Douay Rheims Challoner if older English is not a problem.

The Jerusalem Bible definitely has a flow that few translations have. It makes reading some passages a bit easier. The other two are great, as well, though.
 
Edmundus1581 said:
Thirded, with a caveat.

This is the modern translation which is regarded as most “literal”, in the sense that it translates the words directly without adapting them for current usage. Thus the English can be more difficult to read.

Two very good, and approved, Catholic bibles which are less literal in the translations are:
  • NAB (New American Bible), and
  • Jerusalem Bible
Click to expand...
I would not recommend the NAB to anyone.
 
Hi IAmAKaur

As you are in the UK you should be able to get hold of a copy of the Catholic Truth Society (CTS) bible. It is the translation we use at mass in the UK (based mostly on the Jerusalem Bible). There are good introductions to each book and plenty of notes throughout.

God bless +

Michael
 
Michael_Allen said:
Hi IAmAKaur

As you are in the UK you should be able to get hold of a copy of the Catholic Truth Society (CTS) bible. It is the translation we use at mass in the UK (based mostly on the Jerusalem Bible). There are good introductions to each book and plenty of notes throughout.

God bless +

Michael
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Sat shrii akaal!

Now it’s funny but this is the exact Bible I got today.
 
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