Thomas Nelson (now a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing) has announced four new editions of the NRSV for Catholics which are scheduled for release in March of 2020:
- Journal Edition
- Gift Edition
- Large Print Standard Edition
- Personal Size Standard Edition
All of these editions will feature the current NRSV text. The revised text (the NRSV-UE), which a team of scholars is currently working on, is unlikely to be ready for printing anytime before the middle of 2021. The journal and gift editions will use the anglicized text.
All four editions will feature a sewn binding, two ribbon markers, and a new font called “NRSV Comfort Print (R).” The Journal Edition will be available in either hardcover or leathersoft, but the remaining three editions will be offered only in leathersoft — with multiple color choices available. Check out the Thomas Nelson announcement website for all the details!
These editions have the potential to be very attractive for anyone who enjoys the NRSV. It’s difficult to anticipate how the NRSV-UE will compare to the current edition, but in all likelihood, it will take a good while before the NRSV-UE receives an updated imprimatur. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing these editions from Thomas Nelson next year.
More than a week and no comments, but I guess that’s a reflection of the NRSV’s popularity. I’m actually interested in this release, especially the large print version. Looking forward to a review when they come out.
I’m glad to hear it, Jay. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on at least one of these editions when they are released. They have good potential!
I have an obsession with Catholic biblical roots and their archaeology, I am greatly fascinated by the inclusion of the Dead Sea Scrolls into translating the Bible, of which the NRSV-CE contains. But currently I have a NJB and a NAB-RE. I have been considering those two translations for a while, but since my Liturgy director told me he personally uses the NRSV-Ecumenical Study Bible as a Catholic, that makes me curious which translation is “best” for a Catholic like me who values both prayer and liturgical celebration (reading with the Church) and serious Catholic study of the Bible utilizing the most recent scholarship. The most important thing to me is who gets the royalty fees for a translation used by Catholics. The NAB-RE is obviously supporting CCD since they own the copyright, but I just don’t like the idea of a Protestant publisher receiving and conferring permission to Catholics who use a translation whether that be in the Lectionary or in private study. I know the NJB and NAB-RE, as well as the newer NCB are all fully Catholic translations (these are what I’m stuck on comparing) but if Bishop Barron utilized the NRSV-CE for the Word on Fire Bible then certainly it’s a good if not the best translation for a truly unbiased Catholic? I have no idea which to use, part of me wants to figure out which translation has the most textual influence from the Dead Sea Scrolls and I’ll use that as a determining factor in choosing which Bible to read, but perhaps, since I already have a NJB and I bought it from Pauline Books and Media, maybe it’s that one which I have that has been the most impactful in supporting Catholic publishing since PB&M is a wonderful and balanced bookseller that cares a lot about evangelizing for the Catholic faith.
Someone please just give me simple feedback, listing these four, what do you think is the most balanced and effective Bible for both life in the Church and spiritual reading for personal formation:
1. NJB
2. NAB-RE
3. NRSV-CE
4. NCB (CBP Corp.)
Someone email me if you would like to go more into depth about this, I need more opinion from other people in this, thank you.
dillontleaf@gmail.com