Thomas Nelson has now released their newest edition of the NRSV-CE: the Illustrated Catholic Bible. As the title indicates, this new edition features 513 illustrations that were originally printed in a Venetian Bible in the 1500s. It also features a single-column text layout with the same Catholic Comfort Print font that Thomas Nelson used in their large print NABRE last year. The font size is 9.5 points — smaller than the large print NABRE, and the same size as the Thomas Nelson NRSV Personal Edition.

Amazon and ChristianBook report significantly different measurements for the length and width of this Bible, and without measuring it myself it’s impossible to decide what the exact measurements are. Both sites indicate the Bible is at least 6 inches wide and at least 10 inches tall (maybe 11 inches, if ChristianBook is correct). As such, I suspect this will be a medium-large edition that is intended to be read at home rather than on-the-go.

Many of the other specifications are shared in common with the other Thomas Nelson Catholic Bibles:

  • Smyth-sewn binding
  • Two ribbon markers
  • Gilded page edges

Two cover options are available: flexible leathersoft (available at Amazon and ChristianBook) and a genuine leather-wrapped hardcover (Amazon and ChristianBook). Currently, ChristianBook’s prices are significantly lower than Amazon, but the leathersoft edition is out of stock at ChristianBook until September 13th.

17 thoughts on “Now Available: NRSV-CE Illustrated Catholic Bible from Thomas Nelson”

    1. Thomas Nelson seems to print the Anglicized text in all Catholic editions of the NRSV. My guess is that since the NRSV is used in the liturgy in Canada, they assume that the Canadian market will be the primary market for the NRSV-CE.

  1. I purchased the genuine leather hardback edition from Christianbook.com and believe this is by far the nicest Catholic Bible available to us today. If you want a premium Catholic Bible, this it. The only other premium bibles options are the upcoming RSV with apocrypha from Schuyler and the NRSV with apocrypha from Cambridge. I wish I had been able to purchase the RL Allan NRSV with apocrypha but missed out. This however is a great edition.

  2. I don not care for the NRSV translation. But Thomas Nelson in my experience always produces bibles with a nice, dark print. (Unlike, e.g., Crossway’s various ESV editions.)

    1. The bible is printed in China. There are other Thomas Nelson bibles that I have seen online being printed in the United States, but the quality is lacking.

    2. The bible is printed in China. There are other Thomas Nelson bibles that I have seen online being printed in the United States, but the quality is lacking compared to their Chinese counterparts.

    1. Probably not. Given the shift in some English speaking markets to use the ESV-CE as the basis of a lectionary (am half expecting the Australian conference to follow their Scottish, UK and Indian counterparts soon), I’m thinking that an updated NRSV-CE will be way down the list of priorities for any episcopal conference going forward. Having said that, if the updated NRSV also includes an edition including the expanded canon (i.e. Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals), my wallet may be emptied again in the future…

  3. the article says that many are upset with this choice as they want a translation with ‘inclusive’ language. My understanding was that the RNJB did that.

  4. I just switched to this copy for my reading Bible and I have to say: this is easily the most beautiful Bible I’ve ever owned. Though NRSV isn’t my “favorite” translation, I’m settling back into it as one that’s been a presence spanning all the stages of my Christian life thus far: Methodist to Episcopal to Catholic.

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