A response to my previous post “Caprice” from a reader prompted me to take another look at the NRSV. I am very frustrated right now by the choices of nice Bibles from our friends at Harper San Francisco. I don’t know if they’re concentrating on trying to give the young folks what they perceive that they want, or what. They give us imitation leather in various and sundry colors over hardboards for covers, funny shaped Bibles, single column Bibles, small print Bibles.
I’d like to see an NRSV in double column with 12-14 point type, bonded and genuine leather covers in traditional colors, with good cross-references and text & translators notes.
I’m assuming the publisher will get around to those in the near future. I hope!
So I took a look at what I have among my own possessions that have the letters NRSV on them, and found two. There’s a nice reference Bible from Zondervan, hardcover, but with relatively small print, so it’s hard for me to use for any length of time. I then picked up my old New Oxford Annotated Bible that I got sometime back in the mid- to late-90s. I’m not familiar enough with it to tell you if it’s the second or third edition, or fourth, or however many they have now. But for a long time I have detested it because of it’s glaringly-liberal book introductions and articles. Even so, it does have the NRSV for the text, and it’s in a relatively large print.
I began looking it over even closer, and realized that even though it’s hardcover, it’s from Oxford. That means it’s fine quality! I think it may even be a sewn binding! It lays open nice and flat. The paper is fine to the touch. Examining the print under a magnifying glass shows clear, straight lines, a rarely-mentioned sign of good quality. It’s got a good concordance, and the maps … oh, those maps! They’re beautiful and large, nicely readable and they’re even in color. (But they’re not the popsicle colors other Bible makers use, these colors actually make sense!)
I can read this Bible. The text looks to be maybe 10 point, and the notes aren’t much smaller at all. One of my biggest complaints about the NRSV is that it’s almost impossible to find it in a type-size that an old fogey like me can actually read. It’s like they think everybody who reads the Bible has good eyes. And if you don’t, like me, it can be really frustrating. There is some “bleed-through” from the other side of the page and a general gray hue to it due to all the bleed-through from the other pages. I’m not usually bothered by it, but I think some of my blogging friends who frequently complain about bleed-through would find this Bible unacceptable for that reason. I can handle it, though, without much trouble.
I’m still not real fond of the choice of words by the NRSV folks. Sometimes it almost seems like they chose the most difficult way possible of saying something, almost as if they are trying to keep people from understanding it, although I know they didn’t really do that.
So until the good folks at Harper come out with “real” Bibles, this Oxford isn’t too bad to pass the time with. And who knows, maybe someday I’ll actually find that I’m comfortable with the NRSV. Maybe.
The Sundry Times 
I favor my Oxford REB Study Bible for many of the same reasons, Gary. Relatively large font size, clear and clean layouts, consistent typography, high paper quality, premium binding, etc.
Not all Oxford Bible hardbacks are fully sewn, but many are and it sounds like you have one that’ll last a while. At least until Harper produces a “normal” Bible with better production quality.
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I’m glad to see you giving the NRSV another chance Gary. It took me a long time to make it my favorite, but as previously stated, if I check it against the lexicons and interlinears and the like, it always justifies itself.
Concerning the Oxford, I have it in the RSV and use it often. I love the quality of it, and most of the notes also.
Concerning the Oxford, and all other critical Bibles, they can be great tools of learning, albeit sometimes challenging to our thinking. This being said, there are some things in them that smack of the ridiculous, but you just have to overlook these things and glean the good parts from these Bibles.
If you are looking for something in the NRSV that is more devotional(as I sometimes crave, and recently have been looking for), last month the NRSV Discipleship Study Bible was released, claiming it’s notes to be more grounded in life application. This is a much welcomed idea for the NRSV which has aimed itself at more scholarly readers for so long now. I haven’t actually held one in my hands as of yet, but browsed a few pages at Amazon.com. I may end up buying this and cancelling my pre-order of the ESV Study Bible. I can’t afford it right now though as I am having to buy a lot of books on theology and liturgy because I am about to undergo a course in Anglican Studies, as I have entered the discernment process to become a Worship Leader in the Episcopal Church USA(the prayers of all readers of this blog are invited to ask the Lord’s guidance in this process).
BTW, you are right about the covers, colors, and shapes of some of these modern Bibles. Just a shade too weird for me. LOL
I must say, if you have not tried the material called Tru-Tone(at least that’s what Crossway calls it), it has a feel softer than any genuine leather I’ve ever handled, at the price of bonded leather. I’m sure other companies are making some fine imitation leathers now also, which I think is a wonderful thing for a couple of reasons.
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L.Wells, thanks for the heads-up on the NRSV Discipleship SB. It looks like a neat new addition to the sphere of Study Bibles. I didn’t see any sample pages on CBD. I’ll have to check it out on Amazon.
Will certainly keep you in my prayers as you enter into the discernment process in the ECUSA. BTW, out of curiosity, how does a “worship leader” differ from a minister or pastor?
I have held “tru-tone” Bibles. I’m very impressed with that new imitation leather, and am seriously considering getting that whenever it is offered. I looked at an ESV single-column ref. Bible in tru-tone a few months ago, and it was nicer than the “genuine leather” version.
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“Will certainly keep you in my prayers as you enter into the discernment process in the ECUSA. BTW, out of curiosity, how does a “worship leader” differ from a minister or pastor?”
Gary, thank you very much for your prayers. The worship leader is the office formerly known as lay leader. Essentially it is an assistant to the priest, and is in charge of lay ministers and ministries. The duties involve everything from christian education, to leading any and all worship services, such as morning/evening prayer,burials and baptisms in the absence of a priest, even the Holy Eucharist service including the sermon and the liturgy with the exception that the Host MUST be consecrated by a priest or bishop. In the absence of the priest I would be responsible for the proper order of all services. Even confessions may be heard by a worship leader, but in the absolution formula the pronouns must be changed from “you” to “us”, and “your” to “our”.
To word it as my priest and mentor to be described it to me “it is the closest thing to being a priest”.
Actually this coming Wednesday I have a meeting scheduled with my priest, in which he will review all the responsibilities and requirements with me to be certain I know all I should going into it. After that, things will begin to heat up some.
Hope this helped,would be glad to answer any more questions you might have. Thanks again for your continuing prayers.
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One more thing I forgot to add to my post Gary, a priest has a seminary degree, the worship leader has far less education requirements. I will be licensed after completing a course in Anglican Studies, which is theological, but mostly involves the study of church liturgy, its history, and its theological significance. This will probably take between 8 months and a year, pending acceptance by the bishop into the program of course. Final examination would be done verbally, most likely by the bishop.
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