A reader recently reached out to Ignatius Press to inquire about the status of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (ICSB). Over the past year, a few people involved with the project have commented that the remaining books of the Bible have been completed and should be published after the editing and review process is completed. Here is the latest statement from Ignatius Press:
Thank you for your patience, but it’s (the complete Ignatius Study Bible) not going to be ready this year. Editing and getting imprimaturs for all the books takes a very long time. We hope (for) the Fall of next year (2022), but there is no specific date.
They did just release the stand alone Deuteronomy booklet though!
By my count, I’m guessing they probably have about 6 booklets left to publish to complete the set (“Leviticus”, “Numbers”, “Psalms”, “Jeremiah & Lamentations”, “Ezekiel”, and “The Minor Prophets”).
Given their historical pace, I would say 2023 or even 2024 would be a safer bet but I hope I’m wrong!
Have they completed Hosea? I’m trying to find it. No luck so far.
Hosea is now available. The book is titled Minor Prophets.
It certainly looks like you were correct.
Wow, I hope it is worth the wait.
Are we at 21 years and counting?
Does anyone know if Ignatius Press will be selling an Old Testament volume that would complement their New Testament study Bible? I want to buy their study Bible, but not if they’ll be releasing it as one Bible, once the Old Testament is complete.
Ignatius Press said they would be selling an Old Testament volume as well as the entire Bible when it is published.
There is no justification for this delay. Obviously not a priority. This would not happen at Zondervan, Thomas Nelson or OUP.
Sadly, Scott Hahn’s increasingly frequent engagement with LifeSiteNews, his statements about COVID being a corrective punishment from God and “not compromising” with liberalism have cast him, his work, and the Ignatius Bible commentary itself in a very bad light.
He and the entire Ignatius Bible effort are now a poisoned well for my faith. I won’t be drinking from it anymore.
Happily, Scott Hahn is standing for what is right.
I haven’t followed Hahn too closely, but based on what I have seen I have the same concerns as Christopher. I have the Ignatius NT Study Bible but rarely use it. I’m not sure exactly why. I don’t have any problems with it but I find it a bit dry I guess. I usually reach for other study material. For both of those reasons I probably won’t be buying this when it finally comes up.
Has anyone heard anything lately about a possible Augustine Institute study bible? Last I heard they were saying maybe they’d have something by the end of this year?
I bought the mahogany Augustine ESV-CE based on Timothy’s review from a while back. It’s exactly as Timothy described – great bible. It’s the perfect everything for me: perfect size, layout, font. It’s become my daily reader. A bit over priced for bonded leather, but I saw on Amazon recently that the black bonded leather is going for $52, with free shipping if you have Prime. That’s close to an appropriate price IMO.
Which study Bible do you use now?
Are you for real?
That’s unfortunate that you consider the ICSB to be poison. Could I ask, to take one example, why you think that it is wrong for Dr. Hahn to suggest that COVID is a corrective punishment from God? Every time something bad happens to Israel in the Old Testament the inspired authors say that God is the reason – and that He is punishing them for their sins. Dr. Hahn is giving a biblical take on the sufferings of COVID.
Dr Scott Hahn is a conservative catholic!He adheres to the faith of our fathers!In his recent publications he decries the historicocritical method in favor of an exegesis based on the fathers of the church.Frankly I do not know what is not to like if you are not a mordernist!
I hope the the Old Testament version comes out before I die. I really want to read the Ezekiel notes.
Since when is Life Site News a problem? And, of course, we shouldn’t compromise with Liberalism. This is common sense. I don’t see how this casts a bad light on Scott Hahn or Ignatius Press. They are doing amazing work for the Church. I am very grateful for their steadfastness to the Truth.
I love that edition and gain so much from the explanations. Use it every day to understand the readings of daily Mass
Just to let everyone know just how slow Ignatius Press has been with this process: The Minor Prophets for the Ignatius Study Bible was already finished – at least the writing, not the editing – about 13 years ago. I know this because I talked to the scholar who did the work about that fact in 2010 !
I know this has been a super long time in the works, but I’m still excited for it. The NT was well done and with any luck the OT will be just as impressive. One volume or two…, only time will tell, but I’m guessing that it’ll be as thick as a shoebox by the time it’s finished.
I contacted Ignatius Press a couple years ago and ask them if the Old Testament portion of the Ignatius Study Bible was going to be in one or two volumes when it finally released and they said due to the size it will be two volumes I was told this maybe two years ago.
I will likely not get it if it comes in two volumes. There is no reason for them to not offer it in one, single volume. If you look at the majority of Protestant study bibles, like the ESV or NIV SBs, they have as much if not more content than the ICSB will have and they offer them in a host of single volume sizes and formats.
I agree! I have been waiting since I joined the Catholic Church in 2009 for this study Bible. I still don’t have a go-to Catholic Bible and end up reading my favorite Protestant version.
I highly recommend the Navarre Bible Commentary series. The large OT volumes, especially, are not cheap; however, as they have been around for some years now, you can usually pick up used copies for a reasonable price.
The NT comes in 3 variants: smaller paperback ones, a 3 volume, larger hardback set, and a single volume “expanded edition” that has *MOST* of the same content as the 3 volume set, with a few omissions (but also a few additions).
I bought the one volume NT first, then all of the hardback OT’s, and finally the hardback 3 volume NT over the course of about 5 years, and have yet to regret my purchase (especially when I could snag a “like new” copy at half-price). Even if you have just one particular book of the Bible upon which you’d like to focus (e.g., the Psalms), I HIGHLY recommend the Navarre series.
(It’s also available with its original Spanish commentary, if that is of any interest).
My appreciation of God’s word has deepened so much with the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament thus I am patiently waiting for the Old Testament.
The Ignatius NT Study Bible is wonderfully rich but also most TOO much. I find a deep line by line commentary distracting when I am also trying to read the Scripture. But when I want to know something it’s wonderful and I will be checking out the OT maybe in my retirement ha
I have numerous Bibles of many translations. In 2011 I purchased the Ignatius NT and it is one of my favorites for studying scriptures because the footnotes are amazing. So I hope they publish the OT soon.
I know they announced they are going to publish a one volume Bible, but I hope they also publish a stand alone Old Testament Ignatius volume for those of us who have the Ignatius New Testament. That way we can pair them up.
Please!!!
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Oxford Press comes out with their new Catholic Study Bible based on the new NABRE with revised NT and Psalms texts (due out in 2025) before Ignatius Press publishes their very long awaited Ignatius Study Bible based on the RSV-2CE.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Christ returned before the Ignatius Study Bible OT is completed.
Well, it is frustrating for sure. But no justification? For one, those publishers don’t have to deal with a Catholic hierarchy
This. I mentioned this with an ex-Protestant when the topic of the ICSB overall came up when he asked for recommendations. All the hoop jumping and permissions make it so it takes forever to get the finished product out, but at least you’ll know the finished product is authorized. Specifically, you know it’s not just the “Scott Hahn Study Bible” or “Curtis Mitch Study Bible” in the same sense as the “John MacArthur Study Bible.”
May it be so. Come, Lord Jesus.
https://www.ignatius.com/Donation-P3582.aspx
This page on the Ignatius website indicates that they intend to publish the entire Bible in one volume upon completion.
If true, that’s going to be a thick volume.
I emailed Ignatius Press awhile back asking if their study Bible will bet published in one or two volumes. A customer representative responded saying that they intend to publish the study Bible in two volumes. The New Testament is already published, as I’m sure you know already.
So, submission in 2022…and then HOW LONG? 2 years? 3? 5? It’s no wonder that Protestants are LIGHT YEARS ahead on the Bibles they produce.
I understand the frustration, but this is hands down the most thorough commentary I’ve ever seen in a Bible, Catholic or Protestant. Hopefully it won’t be much longer.
You obviously haven’t seen the Navarre Bible (15 Volumes) or the Anchor Bible (30+ Volumes).
I think the “in a bible” clarifies that Doug means commentary within a volume or (at most) two as a study bible instead of as a compendious commentary. Navarre, in its full volume per (most) biblical book format is like an encyclopedia taking up multiple shelves in a bookcase, whereas this is a study bible meant to be taken with you, for example, to chapel or to a study group while still providing rich (as in not just a lot of info, but in a little space) study notes rooted in the patristic tradition.
of course they can get them out quicker. A faithful Catholic commentary is going to take more time to produce and approve, because they are making sure as much as possible to not lead any into error. My family was given a protestant study Bible, kjv, and the notes are basically just this one preacher’s musings and thoughts on this or that passage with occasional dives into particular words and how they are translated. Not completely useless, but not great either. Anyone can comment on scripture, it takes time to bring the wealth of the Church Fathers and traditions of the Church into your observations and study of scripture. I would rather read without commentary than with bad commentary.
Ummm waiting ……..
It is beyond ridiculous that this ‘project’ is not done. Ignatius Press is not on my ‘favorites’ list anyway, after the way they treated Patrick Coffin. That said, I would suggest that people just give up and move on. There are other Bibles.
First new activity in a while: Psalms is available for preorder, releases 5/30/22. One more down.
I had high hopes for this Bible and as a former Protestant pastor I completely understand the need and desire for study Bibles. Also as a former Protestant pastor, I own a number of study Bibles that contain more information and illustrations, maps, etc than this Bible will and they didn’t take anywhere nearly as long to be published. Very disappointing and I am now giving up on this. I will not be buying it at any point.
I used to be a preacher underneath very qualified Protestant pastors & truly Loved my work: there study & preaching! After 15-20 yrs, however, I KNEW I’d been led to the Catholic Faith…. Our only prob was $$. Eventually, being unwilling to divorce my husband (I was frequently encouraged to leave him & just go back to finish my education), I became horribly disgusted that any Christian church would recommend such a thing!!!!), I spent months in prayer & discussion w my husband & went with my original conviction that I’d made a vow before God that came first!. No divorce or added strain & no outrageous expense.
We moved back to NV & I continued doing full load pulpit supply.
I’ve made the correct decision & have had peace ever since.
I love to study Scripture & language & pray. I’d say life is very good.
If you don’t know Greek or Hebrew & are inclined in any way, I encourage you. It’s great fun AND learning the Scriptures this way is a huge blessing.
I just woke up from a long sleep. Is this Bible complete? Should I get dressed and go to the bookstore and buy one? Or should I just go back to sleep?
I‘ve never worked in the publishing business, so I don’t know what an appropriate timeframe should be for a project of this nature. But I do know that the Ignatius Catholic NT Study Bible has been a blessing to me and I am perfectly willing to wait and be patient for the OT study Bible. I would rather Ignatius Press go slow and do it right, rather than rush. Have faith, swallow the criticism, be of goodwill, united, and grateful for what has come and for what is yet to come.
Scott Hahn stated at the July, 2021 Adult Biblical Studies conference at Franciscan University that the entire Old Testament would be available by Easter of 2022. Obviously that didn’t happen! We’ll see what he says in a couple of weeks at this year’s conference.
I agree with what others have said, this should not take this long. At this point, I have all of the Old Testament booklets that are available so it might be more cost-effective to just buy the remaining booklets as they come out.
Yes, this is a true statement. They did say by Easter of 2022. They also indicated that they were in the last stages of obtaining the Imprimatur. I heard from a reliable source that where the Old Testament was submitted for the Imprimatur, there were some deaths that have stalled the review. Sounds funny to me, though. Why not resubmit elsewhere? I don’t know a lot about the process but seems to me that approval of a Scott Hahn publication would be pretty easy to approve.
I hate to sound cynical, but I imagine one reason for the delay is to make more money. Think about it: how much more would it cost to buy all of the New Testament booklets versus buying the complete hardcover New Testament? Now compare that to the Old Testament. The individual booklets are like $10 apiece. Whereas a paperback New Testament is around $25. And unfortunately, they know that they have enough fans of the Bible to delay simply because when it’s released many Catholics will buy it and hold it up as the “gold standard” ’cause Ignatius Press is saving us from being stuck with “heretical” Bibles like the NABRE. Never mind it’s the Bible approved and promoted by our bishops.
Bottom line: there is no good reason why this has taken as long as it has.
Publishing projects depend on a host of factors including teaching loads, availability of competent graduate student help, the scope, ambition, and quality control of the project, vetting by ecclesiastical authorities (in the case of Catholic projects), the disruptions caused by worldwide pandemics . . . This study Bible is being done at a very high quality at a very low price. It seems quite uncharitable to fault the editors or the publisher for a twenty- to twenty-five year timeline. Consider what a big deal it is to write a simple thank you note as a way of judging the scale of this enterprise.
“This study Bible is being done at a very high quality…” I don’t doubt that. HOWEVER, high-quality Study Bibles have already been produced by Zondervan, Thomas Nelson and Crossway, and they didn’t take 20 years to do so. It is beyond ridiculous. There is NO complete good Study Bible for Catholics. I’ve given up. I bought a very nice ESV (large print) on Amazon for 25 bucks. I’ve got the ‘Apocrypha’ in other Bible if I want to read them. I have Protestant and Catholic Commentaries at my disposal. I won’t likely be buying another Bible. Prices are going up and my money has to spent on food and gas.
Any idea if and when the latest books (Psalms, Deuteronomy) will be available as an e-book?
Waiting 25 years and having a solid, definitive study bible will serve catholics for decades to come. There are other great Catholic commentaries on the Old Testament for us to study in the meantime. There is no rush.
I too am frustrated at how long it is taking for the ISB to be completed. I can offer this explanation, however. In 2010 I spoke to the author of the Minor Prophets commentary for the ISB. I asked him when it would be published. He said he had no idea – especially since he had finished writing it 2 years earlier! I was aghast and asked what the hold up was. He said that they simply couldn’t find orthodox editors to check all the work and prepare the volumes for publication. That minor prophets volume still isn’t published after 13 years!
Update: Finally published in September 2023!
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well”…..ease up everyone….maybe spending time in prayer for the conversion of our country would be a good idea?
I agree with what you said 🙂 If you don’t have a complete Ignatius study Bible in our lifetimes, then, please God, when we make it to heaven we can learn from our Lord himself, whose wisdom is infinitely better than any study Bible human beings can produce. Is it not written “Religion with contentment is a great gain”?
Hey. Ignatius web site content managers, it may be time to update that “Fall 2022” estimate.
It’s January 23 of 2023 is the date secured yet for the complete Bible not just a New Testament. Would love to be on a receive list. Thanks.
Scott Hahn and Trent Horn, Ronald Witherup snd Jimmy Akin should work together on an Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, rivaling the Little Rock Study Bible by making a NABRE edition as well. We more theologically moderate bent to this Ignatius Press.
Sounds like it’d become the “Catholic Answers Study Bible” at that point.
With the NA29/UBS6 Greek New Testament expected next year, the new LOTH and NAB expected the year after or so, and Word on Fire churning out a Bible volume a year and already about to put out volume 3 of the expected 7, I hope all the forthcoming releases of big Christian works can light a fire under Ignatius Press. I would say they’ll at least have it out before the new CSV gets completed, but I don’t want to jinx even that.
And as an aside, I recall Jeff Cavins mentioning on Pints with Aquinas how much he admired the look, construction, and feel of the premium goatskin Protestant Bibles of Schuyler and co., in terms of paper and leather and everything else, and gave a “Shhh, stay tuned” sort of response when Matt Fradd commented on wishing the “alpha cowhide” edition of the Great Adventure Bible was real leather, so here’s hoping that (eventually) good, quality, high-end stuff is forthcoming in multiple sectors of Catholic publishing.
It is now the Good Friday 2023, and there is still not a full OT edition to go with my NT. I havent found a better NT honestly that gives insights into the scriptures like these do. At this point I am going to just pick up all of the individual books of the OT, rather than wait for all of them to be compiled. Which ones are still yet untranslated as of 2023?
The yet missing books are Leviticus; Numbers; 1 and 2 Chronicles; Ezra and Nehemiah; Jeremiah, Lamentations and Baruch; Ezekiel; Minor Prophets; 1 and 2 Maccabees.
1 & 2 Maccabees is now out.
Minor Prophets is now available, and Ezekiel pre-order is available for January 2024.
9/28 I just see an amazon preorder for Minor Prophets but I don’t see an Ezekiel preorder. Getting close!
Why would Lamentations go with Baruch and not Jeremiah?
I ordered directly from Ignatius Press. Minor Prophets is in my hands already, and Ezekiel is up for pre-order.
The poster is suggesting it’s going to be three books in one: Jeremiah, Baruch, and Lamentations.
Sweet just received Ezekiel from Ignatius Press!
So that leaves:
(3) Leviticus
(4) Numbers
(10) 1 & 2 Chron
(11) Ezra & Nehemiah
(18) Jeremiah, Lamentations & Baruch
If I compiled my data and wrote my python program correctly, I get
2010 1
2012 1
2013 2
2014 1
2015 1
2016 1
2017 2
2019 2
2020 1
2021 1
2022 1
2023 3
So, this year they have published the most OT books in one year by far. If this trend continues, we should expect them all released within a couple years.
Jeremiah, Lamentations and Baruch is now shipping.
Ordered!
Now that leaves
(3) Leviticus
(4) Numbers
(10) 1 & 2 Chron
(11) Ezra & Nehemiah
Hopefully the St. Paul email mentioned below is accurate!
Every Early Church Father: “In the ‘two in the field, one taken, one left’ statements, the one left is the damned and the one taken is the saved one.”
St Thomas Aquinas: “In the ‘two in the field, one taken, one left’ statements, the one left is the damned and the one taken is the saved one.”
Every Pre-Vatican 2 Commentator including Haydock, Lapide, etc: “In the ‘two in the field, one taken, one left’ statements, the one left is the damned and the one taken is the saved one.”
Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch in ICSB: “The one taken is damned and the one left is saved. The belief that it’s the other way around is a protestant invention…” [And not even a footnote to mention that the entire 2,000 tradition of the church disagrees with them about this].
Facepalm.
Both interpretations could be made about “one is taken and one is left.” The wicked are “left behind” when the righteous meet our Lord in the air at his second coming, our resurrection.
“16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first;
17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 RSV-CE
The righteous are left behind when the wicked are subsequently banished into the lake of fire, reserved for the devil and his angels.
31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…”
Matthew 25:31-33, 41 RSV-CE
I am not seeing the comment about “the other way around is a Protestant invention” in the notes of my copy of the ICSB. I do recall doing a parish Bible study with the ISCB and thinking the interpretation that the righteous are ultimately left behind was helpful to get a better understanding of the end times. If a Protestant invention was being considered, it is certainly the dispensational-rapture theology which asserts that the religious people will be spared from persecution and tribulation, and also exempts them from the Last Judgment. The heresy of separating the “rapture” from the Second Coming and Last Judgment has become mainstream in modern Christianity, and the “left behind” verbiage is part of their proof-texts.
>> Mark wrote:
>>August 28, 2022 at 4:11 pm
>>…where the Old Testament was submitted for the Imprimatur, there were some deaths that have
>> stalled the review. Why not resubmit elsewhere?
You request an imprimatur from the Ordinary where the publication takes place. There is nowhere else to submit a request. Your local bishop approves—or not—what gets published in his diocese. (Of course, you are free to publish without an imprimatur, but I’m sure Ignatius does not want to do this.)
Imho: The Roman Catholic Church should have published a detailed and faithful (conservative) study bible(s) decades ago. As the oldest and largest Christian denomination I think it is inexcusable for the RC Church’s lack of effort in this regard. Will it be a BIG bible…yes, especially if you factor in the deuterocanonical books but never the less, there should be at least one contemporary version by now both in digital and hard copy format. There is the Haydock Douay Rheims but I think with the scholarly advancement we can do better than a publication over 200 years old…all the other Catholic study bibles are, well…left wanting, particularly if scholarly depth is what one is after insofar as a Study bible can start to offer it.
As such, I am currently using the ESV study bible by Crossways being mindful of the Reformed Protestant theology especially Calvinism on specific areas of faith. Having said that, I must say the array of charts, diagrams, pictorial representations, maps, articles, book introductions, general notes etc. is very impressive. They even briefly note the Catholic view in several areas. I have the larger size…it’s a BIG bible!
I would rather have a scholarly study bible more in line with my faith…including the deuterocanonical books.
Come on Team RCC via ICSB let’s get on with it!…please.
“As the oldest and largest Christian denomination”
Not to be argumentative, but to point out an important distinction. Referring to the Catholic Church as the largest Christian denomination is like referring to the trunk of a tree as the largest branch on that tree.
As Catholics we should use translations that are modern and academic because we face a highly intellectual world and we need our Catholic readership to be literate in the academic understanding of the biblical text as well as faithful exegesis from the Catholic Tradition. I think we don’t need another “Study Bible” but rather incorporate better exegetical and spiritual commentary (accompanied) with academic commentary (such as the Anchor Bible Commentary). I use the New Jerusalem Bible Reader’s Edition since it has the plain text and an approachable (not heavy) format so it’s easy to read on it’s own terms. Study Bibles are impractical in my opinion.
I’ll agree that “we don’t need another ‘Study Bible'” right after we get the first one.
The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible does a fairly good job at presenting diverse academic theories alongside the ancient beliefs and teachings of the early Church, notably in the book introductions. I like this transparency, it doesn’t offer one theory stated as fact but lets the reader decide. But more importantly it guides one into the understanding of the faith through Scripture; which leads to forgiveness of sins and union with Christ in the Sacraments. An incorrect reading based on personal bias can lead to grievous errors, and have the opposite effect intended: leading people astray. There are already Catholic Bibles available with faithful, orthodox notes. The ISCB will simply be a very nice addition to that family.
I have a great experience with the Ignatius Study Bible (Genesis) Volume, I just can’t see those wonderful individual volumes becoming one big book. Another point is translation. With the RSV-2CE, Joseph Fessio the man in charge of Ignatius Press has warned that the ESV-CE (as it is being adopted as the new Lectionary in England) has an Evangelical-Protestant org. as it’s copyright owner and that Catholics will have to awkwardly ask permission from them regarding making edits to liturgical and private-use editions of that translation. I can’t see how a mainstream Catholic would want to use a translation that had to pay royalty fees to an ardently Protestant organization that has no interest in Catholicism. Regarding the Ignatius Study Bible, the translation used is quickly becoming obsolete and I just wish that Ignatius would incorporate a more up-to-date translation that reflects Catholic biblical scholarship at it’s roots. Ignatius could add to the family of Catholic Study Bibles by producing a volume that is on par with the Word on Fire Bible but for example, would use the Revised New Jerusalem Bible as it’s Scripture text, since that translation will be used in the wider English-speaking Lectionaries. It is my belief that the future of Catholic biblical literacy and faith formation rests on a solid academic understanding of the Bible and an ecumenical, unity-driven Laity.
Besides all of that, what is the future of the RSV-2CE? Should there be a 3rd edition, or is it time for the Ignatius to adopt an entirely different translation to publish?
Personally, I can’t see Ignatius Press, at least, adopting a different translation anytime soon. They do very important work in the Catholic publishing world, but I think it’s pretty clear, based on the quality of the books they produce, that they’re operating on a shoestring budget. That’s not a knock against them mind you, I think they’re very efficient in what that produce, focusing on durability and useablity over flashy extras. I’m thinking of the ordinariate prayerbook or the original RSV2CE as example of products that were very well done for the price, but who left a lot to be desired (lay flat binding? Real Leather?). Given their apparent lack of resources I can’t see them willing to pay royalties to any other producer (Catholic or otherwise) when they have a perfectly serviceable translation available in house for free. And especially with the success of things like Fr Mike Schmidt’s Bible in a year podcast, or the Great Adventure Bible, I also just don’t see a lot of popular demand for an update to the text. I think your critiques of the RSV2CE are valid (which is why I personally prefer the NRSV:CE myself, despite my appreciation for the RSV2CE) but I just don’t think anyone outside of academics or Catholic Bible nerds like ourselves really care about the RSV2CE shortcomings that much. I think it might have worried Ignatius more if the ESV:CE had sold better for the Augustine Institute, perhaps then they would have at least explored the possibility of licensing a different translation or maybe even collaborating with other Catholic publishers to produce something new, but given the ESV:CE lack luster American sales, the market seems to be saying that English Speaking American Catholic just aren’t interested in a new translation right now. I mean the Douay-Rhems Bible held the English Speaking Catholic field for like, 400 years, so I think it’s pretty clear that the average Catholic in the pews is fairly indifferent to what translation to use, so long as it’s fairly readable.
“Regarding the Ignatius Study Bible, the translation used is quickly becoming obsolete”
I think we all overblow matters like this. In the grand scheme of things, the aspects that could be considered “obsolete” in the RSV-2CE are extremely minor, to the point one could make the “corrections” with a pen in a single afternoon, and the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible itself frequently makes such corrections within the study notes. And this starts from the fact that the RSV-CE and ESV2016 are 92% 1:1 identical already, and that a few changes the RSV-2CE made from the RSV-CE actually are ones the ESV made. I don’t believe the ESV is inherently better than the RSV, and for reasons having nothing to do with “Protestant bias” or whatever; I just think the ESV frequently has a weaker grasp of the English language compared to the RSV and many “changes” they made were clearly done to create enough of a difference to justify a separate copyright and had little to do with updated scholarship.
If we’re going to say that every translation a few decades old is woefully obsolete, then why does anyone read or recommend the Douay-Rheims or Knox anymore? Why does Bob post about praying with the NJB and not the RNJB? Should Word on Fire have transitioned to the NRSVue for the Word on Fire Bible the moment it came out and rereleased Vol. 1 in that translation? Because I got Vol. 3, the Pentateuch, a few weeks ago and they’re still using the original NRSV-CE. Should Cambridge stop selling the NRSV Reference Bible because it’s obsolete now? And so forth.
My previous responses didn’t load successfully. But in addressing JOE and JAMES,
I agree Ignatius is kind of at a plateau in terms of what they can do, I just wish there was more vibrant content from middle of the spectrum Catholics, that could make use of the NJB as a base text since that’s my favorite translation.
Regarding archaic translations, yes the Douay-Rheims was around a long time but it’s based primarily on the Vulgate so it doesn’t compare with the RSV-CE in terms of obsolescence. I wouldn’t pick any older translation than the RSV-CE since the RSV is the first translation to make use of the Dead Sea Scrolls. As Catholics I think it’s extremely important that we utilize the most academic and accepted Catholic translation. The NAB unfortunately includes Theodore McCarrick in it’s translation team page which to me is a bad omen, I personally feel like the NABRE should be exclusively a liturgical translation in the US. Catholic have already chosen their lay-study Bibles, it’s just we need to use a more up to day version than the RSV-CE. I don’t like the NRSV because it still retains a lot of inaccessible vocabulary from it’s Authorized Version roots, and it’s not that original on it’s own terms because of it, also if someone wanted to use a Bible that has greater Protestant association for the sake of ecumenism then they should adapt a CSB into a Catholic Edition if that concerns them. To me though, the best translations is the one that is balanced and non partisan while also being a Catholic approved translations, and the closest to that in my opinion would be the NJB or CTS New Catholic Bible.
An additional note. I was initially inspired and moved by the Bible when I got the Ignatius Genesis Bible (volume 1), and I have a lot of respect for it along with it’s base translation. It seems the RSV-CE and NRSV-CE have come to be the most widely vetted Catholic translations overall. To me it’s simply peculiar that there seems to be various camps of thinking regarding translation choice and theological approach, like Catholic Answers latches onto the Ignatius Bible, while ICS Publications quotes out of the NRSV-CE (these are enough justification to use one of these translations), and the rest seem to utilize the NABRE. So far there aren’t any camps that I know of who hold to the Jerusalem family of translations perhaps because it’s a British translation. The only publishers of the NRSV for Catholic use that I found so far are Harper Collins, Oxford, and that Paulist Press lectio divina Bible, oh and the Catholic Youth Bible… I’m 23 so I guess that counts. Whereas the RSV-CE is only available in it’s rough state as a used copy of the older Ignatius edition or from an Oxford edition, the second editions exclusively by Ignatius and partners. I can’t find a satisfactory NABRE besides the American Bible society edition(s). So I have been wielding the NJB as if it’s the only one to read from since it’s the most approachable translation so far to me. I just don’t get why there is so much variety and different option on these translations, it’s weird to me. Is a translation from the mid-to-late 80s reliable compared to the NABRE from 2010(ish)? Back to the main topic, the Ignatius Bible is great, where is Hahn though? Might they dare to use the ESV instead of the RSV for the base translation?! Is that the hold up?
For me, I want to read a translation that isn’t afraid to make me ask questions about the text, so the NJB and NABRE stand out to me the most, I just have a feeling the NABRE is soon to be replaced and so Catholic translations are at a sort of “suspense” right now…
The catalogue for Lent 2024 is out. Nothing new. At this “speed” we`ll be lucky to have the complete OT for Christmas 2025.
Where are we at if we cannot live what the word of God teaches, what it implants in us? I to, have been going bonkers waiting but I’m reminded that God allows, so to speak, EVERYTHING we experience, things like delays etc. etc. What use are our bibles if we aren’t accepting & applying what the Lord teaches us therein? Let’s accept our trials, our crosses in the “ordinary” things of life. They bring the answers to our prayers! But yeah, of course I have been/am/& will be itching to recieve the Ignatius O.T! In the meantime, excuse me but I have to, “mind the store’ as is still said in some circles. Peace to you all, my true brothers and sisters!
St Paul Center just sent out an email with this little nugget. No big deal.
“I’m overjoyed to announce that after 25 years the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible—both Old and New Testaments—will finally be released this fall!”
The link goes nowhere, so that is all the info I have.
I will believe it will be released “this fall” (as opposed to the previous 10 “this fall”s) when it’s literally in my hands. I won’t settle for any less in terms of proof.
Official announcement for fall 2024: https://stpaulcenter.com/audio/the-road-to-emmaus/ignatius-catholic-study-bible-is-finally-coming/
Single volume, 7″x10″.
Here’s Ignatius Press’ web site for this: https://catholic-study-bible.com
Thanks so much I’ve been looking everywhere for an update