The much-anticipated new editions of the New Revised Standard Version — Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE) from Thomas Nelson’s Catholic Bible Press are now in print! The product page on Thomas Nelson’s website lists the details for all four new editions: the journal edition, gift edition, large-print standard edition, and personal-size standard edition. I recently purchased the personal-size standard edition in burgundy leathersoft (imitation leather) from ChristianBook, and I received it yesterday.
In my view, this bible is a home-run for Thomas Nelson. It does an excellent job balancing the preferences I often talk about in bible reviews. The size is eminently portable and suitable for reading in-hand. It measures approximately 8.9 X 5.75 X 1.25 inches — roughly the same size as the Augustine Bible ESV-CE:
To compare with a few other editions, this bible is notably smaller and more portable than the Cambridge NRSV with Apocrypha in burgundy goatskin which was released in 2018, but a little larger than the Cambridge REB with Apocrypha in French Morocco (which is no longer in print):
The imitation leather on this edition is excellent — similar in quality to the Great Adventure Bible RSV-2CE and the Nicholas King Bible. These are all examples of soft, flexible, imitation leather which is truly a worthy substitute for the feel of good genuine leather, rather than the plastic or rubber-like covers on bibles like the Dynamic Catholic RSV-CE or the CEB with Apocrypha in imitation leather. Here are a few photos of the Thomas Nelson NRSV with the Great Adventure Bible:
This bible has a simple presentation page inside the front cover and the introductions penned by the NRSV translation committee, the Oxford team which produced the Anglicized text of the NRSV, and an introduction to the NRSV Catholic Edition. I had hoped that the Personal Edition and the Large Print edition would feature the original US text of the NRSV, since the product website didn’t mention that they would be anglicized. This edition definitely features the anglicized text, however. For the most part, this makes a minor difference to American readers, primarily in spelling of various words.
In some cases, though, it introduces words that are inaccurate in an American context. For example in Mark 2:23, when Jesus and the disciples are walking through a field of grain, with the apostles picking grain on the sabbath, the anglicized text changes “grainfields” to “cornfields” to conform to British usage. To an American ear, corn refers to a specific plant (otherwise known as maize) rather than grain plants in general.
The bible features two large ribbons (one burgundy and the other gold), gold gilded page edges which are decent in quality, and a sewn binding.
Thomas Nelson created a new font called “NRSV Comfort Print” for this edition. The personal edition uses size 9.5 font, and I can confirm that it is significantly larger and bolder than the size 8 font in my Cambridge REB with Apocrypha:
The text is line-matched, and ghosting of text from nearby pages seems well-controlled. When I first opened this bible, my heart sank when I looked at the font. The typesetting and page design looks dense and unappealing. I quickly realized that the font is very readable, though. This is a case where the designers opted for something that is functional over something that looks beautiful, and it was a sensible decision. I’m impressed that they were able to combine such a large font with manageable ghosting in a thin form factor. They’ve clearly worked to balance everything here in a way that is commendable.
I’m very impressed with this edition. If you are looking for a simple, portable bible with no commentary notes and easy-to-read print, this is a great choice. The sewn binding and excellent imitation leather add a lot to the quality of this edition.
Woo-hoo! Two ribbons!
Glad to see that it’s not red letter!
I don’t even know how many copies of the NRSV I already have, including commentaries probably at least half a dozen. I definitely won’t be buying a new one until the update.
I like the choice of font. For us older folks it is a real issue.
For what it’s worth, I am not a huge fan of the mandatory “this Holy Bible is presented to” page.
I have a fair number of bibles (i.e. I’d have difficulty counting them), but nearly all of them have been bought by me. Wouldn’t it be better to have this included as a sticker that can be used if someone is presenting a bible to someone else, and otherwise doesn’t have to be used.
I agree! I like the sticker idea. Furthermore, Thomas Nelson has a separate gift bible where the presentation page makes sense. But it doesn’t seem necessary in a personal edition which many people will buy for their own use.
it gets a little awkward I agree.
I like the binding and raised spines of the cover, but the column width is just too narrow. The REB bible in the comparison photo has a much better column width.
Good point. The column width is too narrow for most lines of poetry in the psalms. Almost every double-column layout has that problem, but in this case, the bible designers did not try to minimize it. It was a necessary consequence of the other design features they were going for: compact size and large bold font.
Does this bible include a family registry (Births, Baptisms, Marriage)?
No, the presentation page pictured above is the only dedicated space for personal details. There are several blank pages at the end of the bible which could be used for that purpose, but they are not marked for any particular purpose.
Where can I find this Thomas Nelson Personal edition NRSV-CE? I have searched the internet to no avail? Any help would be appreciated.
Here are some Amazon links to the three available colors:
Red imitation leather:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/078523053X?tag=harpercollinsus-20
Brown imitation leather:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785230513?tag=harpercollinsus-20
Black imitation leather:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785230505?tag=harpercollinsus-20
It’s also available at ChristianBook:
Red imitation leather:
https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/nrsv-catholic-personal-size-comfort-leathersoft/9780785230533/pd/230538
Brown imitation leather:
https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/nrsv-catholic-personal-size-comfort-leathersoft/9780785230519/pd/23051X
Black imitation leather:
https://biblegateway.christianbook.com/nrsv-catholic-personal-size-comfort-leathersoft/9780785230502/pd/5230502
These are actually published by Catholic Bible Press, the Catholic imprint of Thomas Nelson which is probably why it may be difficult to find when searching. Great review
Does it have an introduction to each book of the Bible? I have a “Go-Anywhere Thinline Bible Catholic Edition” by “Harper Catholic Bibles,” which has only two introductory sections in the beginning called “Preface to the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition” and “To the Reader.” I would prefer to see an introduction for each book of the Bible.
As of Jan. 1, the Personal size sells for $15 on Amazon. It looks like they’re getting ready to convert to the updated NRSV.
Between the NRSVCE Person Edition and the NRSVCE Great Quotes Edition, which edition do you guys think has better quality/font/feel?
I’m new to this whole thing as I am “babe in Christ” as my Protestant brothers told me, and I’m looking for a Bible that can hold up to consistent use and study.
Does it matter if it’s made in China or South Korea? I hear it’s important to try and avoid outsourcing according to other bloggers.
Thank you.