Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testaments

Description

The whole of Scripture, Old Testament and New, is being published in a single volume, featuring the beautiful Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation along with introductions, outlines, and explanatory notes for each biblical book, extensive cross references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church , and an array of visual and educational aids to bring the message of Scripture into clear focus for Catholic readers. More than any other study edition of the Bible on the market, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is "like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old" (Mt 13:52). It draws insights from the best of modern scholarship as well as the best of the Catholic tradition of interpretation through the ages. It explains the historical, cultural, literary, and archaeological background of Scripture, while at the same time looking to the Fathers, Doctors, and Councils of the Church for insight into its theological and spiritual teachings. The result is a veritable library of Bible study resources, all under one cover, designed to help readers understand the written Word of God and apply its lessons to their lives today. It is simply the most ambitious undertaking of its kind in our generation. Key Features: Introductions and Outlines for every book of the Bible 17,500+ explanatory footnotes for every chapter of the Bible 20+ topical essays on major topics in the Bible 140+ word studies on the most important vocabulary in the Bible 25+ charts on the chronology, kings, parables, and other features of the Bible 50+ maps on the geography of the Bible 1,700+ cross-references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 9 point type size, 7 point type for footnotes The Ignatius Press Study Bible has been developed by leading Scripture scholars: Scott Hahn, Ph.D., General Editor, St. Paul Center Curtis J. Mitch, M.A., Co-Editor Contributing Authors: Kelly Anderson, S.S.L., Ph.D., Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary Michael Barber, Ph.D., Augustine Institute John Bergsma, Ph.D, Franciscan University and St. Paul Center Mark Giszczak, S.S.L., Ph.D., Augustine Institute John A. Kincaid, Ph.D., University of Mary Jeffrey L. Morrow, Ph.D., St. Paul Center James B. Prothro, Ph.D., Augustine Institute Andrew Swafford, S.T.D., Benedictine College Leeanne Thomas, M.A. Matthew J. Thomas, D.Phil., Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology David Twellman, Ph.D., Sacred Heart Major Seminary André Villeneuve, Ph.D., Sacred Heart Major Seminary & Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies Review: Great for When You’re Experiencing Spiritual Dryness - Excellent study Bible with clear, insightful notes rooted in Catholic teaching. If you’ve been experiencing spiritual dryness, this Bible really helps bring Scripture to life again. It’s very thorough and great for deep understanding, though a bit large and dense. Perfect for serious study. Review: The best Study Bible I've come across by a large margin - I will qualify my review by stating that I am Catholic-adjacent, and considering entering into the Catholic church soon. I will also add that I am a lifelong student of the Bible. Studying scripture is my single biggest hobby, and I am also a Christian author. Anyways, here's my review. The Ignatius Press Study Bible is unbelievable. I've had mine for 3 weeks, and I'm convinced this is the best study Bible on the market (perhaps only second to the Word on Fire Bible, which isn't really the same). Before I bought it, I borrowed several competing study Bibles from friends and the Library, and there's really no comparison – the Ignatius Press Study Bible, which took around 25 years to complete from what I've heard, is the only one of its kind. I've read about 5-6 of the included essays, and they were all brilliantly written, and I learned quite a bit from them. The commentary strikes a good balance between modern scholarship and traditional beliefs. It doesn't shy away from the tough questions (i.e. the divine council in the OT, the glorification of killing in Joshua, the multiple authors of Isaiah, etc.) That said, it mostly leans conservative with its interpretations (e.g., it never hints at parts of Genesis or Joshua as being ahistorical, or anything like that). The style of interpretation didn't feel surface level at all. Unlike many of the competing study Bibles I read, the Ignatius Press Study Bible has already taught me a ton. It has notes on the cultural contexts, the Hebrew and Greek wording, quotes from the Church Fathers, etc. In fact, some of the pages had so much commentary that there were more footnotes than actual Scripture (the first page of Genesis only gets through three verses because the commentary is so stacked!) It has the typical notes you'd expect (e.g., explaining difficult passages), but also, typological and anagogical interpretations that I'd never have come to on my own. That said, I still find myself googling often. There aren't a ton of notes on the poetic and chaistic structure of the text. There also aren't Strongs numbers for looking up Hebrew and Greek words. The style of commentary is definitely a better fit for a Catholic than for a Messianic Jew or someone who really skews towards the Jewish roots of the faith. In fact, this study Bible is unapologetically Catholic. But that is its greatest strength. This Bible is a behemoth. It's almost as wide as a tin can. I can't imagine getting the floppy leather version – hard back is the only way to go. In fact, while looking into which version to get, I learned that many people returned their floppy leather versions to get the hardback version. So maybe do yourself the favor and do that ahead of time. One strange omission is that there are no bookmark ribbons. Also, there are no tabs on the side to easily find the book you're looking for. That's not a big deal, but I wanted to mention it. As far as the RSV-2 translation goes, I find it to be very readable except for the way it translates the names of people and places. There's often weird apostrophes (e.g., Abraham's brother is Na'hor instead of Nahor.) Otherwise, I find it to be just as readable as ESV, NASB, and other mainline translations.