Customer Reviews

The Green Bible

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I recently purchased a Green Bible before release date at the local bookstore in my city. At first I wasn't sure what to make of this Bible with its eco-friendly emphasis, but I am glad that I remained open to take a look at it and consider it!

For one the Bible is a devotional one, and one that is not as intrusive as most devotional Bibles that force the reader to adopt or consider the publishers views and interpretative moves throughout the text. Here you'll find essays at the beginning of the Bible and a list of references and study helps at the end. Secondly, the font and paper quality is amazingly durable and comfortable on the eyes. As many know, the NRSV is a great translation but finding an NRSV that you can read and enjoy is like trying to find Atlantis. The Green Bible delivers in that area and I would say that this is the best NRSV Bible in the market for readability.

The green highlights throughout the text, while not intrusive, does take some time to get used to. Especially when you are reading it for devotional purposes or for study, but don't let that hamper you from buying it. After a few days you begin to ignore the highlights and can read it with ease.

The only negative is that cover for the Bible does not feel sturdy and durable. I've carried it in my messenger bag for the past few days and have not seen any pages folded over or torn out. However, I'm careful with it. As well, expect some oil marks from your hands to develop over time on the cover since it is made from cotton.

Overall, I've been happy with my Green Bible and will begin to use it on a daily basis. I know many people will find theological fault with this Bible but I challenge those who do to actually pick one up and see what they think. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and perhaps not so judgmental.

Desmond Tutu writes the Foreword to this landmark new edition of the Bible. He concludes with this powerful affirmation: "It is possible to have a new kind of world, a world where there will be more compassion, more gentleness, more caring, more laughter, more joy for all of God's creation, because that is God's dream. And God says, 'Help me, help me, help me realize my dream.'"

This new edition of the Bible is just one stepping stone toward that dream -- just one new religious tool in a new kind of toolbox.

By simply marking Creation-care passages in green -- like the earlier red-letter edition launched a century ago -- new generations of Bible readers will find fresh focus on the green themes in Scriptures. That was the same basic principle that led to the red-letter Bibles that first appeared about 100 years ago. People needed to change their focus when reading scriptures in the 20th Century, the creators of the red-letter concept believed. For their century, they thought the central challenge was encouraging people to return to the teachings of Jesus, so they marked Jesus' words in red.

Now, at the dawn of a new century, the creators of this new edition realize that many of us want to rediscover the Bible's many teachings about the compassionate commitment we all should make to our planet and to the creatures, plants and humanity living all around us on the fragile blue ball that God provided for us. So, they've marked Creation-care passages in green for us.

That's so simple and yet so helpful. If you're a typical Bible reader, you already own several Bibles -- and this one is a smart addition to your devotional choices.

This is far from the end of the green trail for people of faith. There is a long way yet to go, even with green Bibles. For example, this is a Bible with an introductory reflection from the writings of Pope John Paul II -- but only the Protestant books of the Bible between its covers. Obviously, we also need a Catholic edition of the Green Bible. This is a weighty book. We need shorter portions of scripture printed this way. Most of the supplements for Bible study are printed as a series of introductory essays, written as this green movement is just emerging broadly in Christian churches. We will need another edition down the road, as our prayerful reflections deepen and our collective responses mature.

This truly is a milestone. If we could turn back the clock to the dawn of the 20th Century, I'm sure that most Bible readers would go out and snap up copies of the first red-letter edition to hit bookstore shelves. Now, as the first Green Bible emerges, you'll want this on your shelf.

Yes, it's a first step, but it is a major step on a crucial journey.

I love this Bible! The moment I heard about it, I was excited to get a copy. I'm happy I pre-ordered it- it's a lovely edition of the NRSV, my preferred translation, with over 1,000 passages outlined in green to show the role of creation in God's story.

There are folks who no doubt are suspicious of anything "green" or "eco-friendly", but I hope they would take a look at this Bible and realize how important the earth and the environment are to God. Numerous introductory essays highlight the crucial relationship between scripture, the divine, and creation, and the lovely concordance at the end that points to all of the "green" passages help us to find our way through the Bible with an ecological emphasis.

For years, the NRSV was slowly on its way to becoming irrelevant, supplanted by other hipper translations like "The New Living Translation" and "The Message". Thankfully, it seems that with somewhat better marketing ideas, and a more directed focus, more and more Christians will be purchasing the NRSV as their translation-of-choice.

This is a great idea- a Bible printed on ecopaper using soy inks. However, the green print is light and difficult for my "older" eyes to read.
Also, I question some of the "green" text and find myself trying harder to find the green connection in the passage than finding the greater meaning in the text.

The Green Bible is a Godly treasure accentuating the plethora of quotes that revere God and his entire creation. It also verifies that man's dominion over the planet should be as benevolent stewards safeguarding the animal kindom, forests, oceans and marine and terrrestrial ecosystems. It must be mentioned that the original diet of man was vegetarian (Genesis 1:29) before we fell from grace and plunged into discord, strife, violence and wars. The "Green Bible" is uplifting vindication for nature conservationists, wildlife guardians, animal lovers and people who deeply respect all God's creatures great and small. Creation care is a spiritual, moral and planetary imperative.

I anxiously bought a Green Bible for environmental discussions with believers. I actually read all 121 (non-biblical) introductory pages, all the greened text in the 1,312 pages of the old and new testaments, the "Trail Guide", Where do You Go from Here", "Green Subject Index", and "Concordance" (bible jargon for an ordinary index).

Frankly, I was very disappointed. Mark Tauber, HarperOne publisher, stated that the Green Bible was developed with the intention of being "the first ever specialty bible that takes the issues of sustainability, stewardship of the earth, what many in the religious community call `creation care' very seriously". HarperOne also claims "the Bible contains more references to the environment than it does about love or most other subjects. With over 1,000 references to the earth in the Bible, compared to 490 references to heaven and 530 references to love, the Bible carries a powerful message for the earth."

The Green Bible doesn't live up to its stated "intentions". The flowery reviews must be from people who are promoting it without actually reading it.

The greenest part of this bible is in the 121 non-biblical introductory pages, written by mere mortals. The Old Testament (940 pages) contains the majority of the "green" highlights. It seems that selections were made by doing a word search for terms like "land", "cloud" or "earth" and then highlighting that phrase. Most green text has little or nothing to do with sustainability or stewardship of the earth. "Green" text: Psalm 76.4 "Glorious are you, more majestic than the everlasting mountains" Since that line contained "mountains", it was highlighted in green. Yes, it is an environmental reference but no, it is not valuable. I suppose a spin doctor could make a green sustainability and stewardship of the earth sermon out of that line, but mere mortals see little green in it.

The green in the New Testament (280 pages) is even more obscure (dare I say deceptive). Green text: Mark 14.32 "They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples "sit here while I pray."!" Why is that greened? What has that to do with sustainability and stewardship of the earth? By far, most of the NT green is mostly evangelical and has practically nothing to do with sustainability and stewardship of the earth.

The biggest green message in the bible is that the earth is clearly regarded as a valuable reward for people, not just a resource. Earth is awarded to those who do biblical goodness. In the bible, earth is valuable not in a monetary sense but as a way of sustaining life. It is the source of food and water and is beautiful and allows you and your family to be fruitful and multiply. It is never referenced as something to be mined, logged, exploited, polluted, exhausted, or "lain waste" as the "dominion" defenders argue as their divine right. In the bible, barren infertile land is punishment for wrongdoing and wrongdoers.

It is plain that living well on earth is desirable, Godly, and only possible with healthy vibrant land. God provided healthy vibrant land. Those who defile it are wrongdoing. That simple biblical statement is clear, but it doesn't take 1,000 deceptively greened obscure references in 1,312 pages to say it. It just takes a few sentences, driven home with a big hammer or maybe with the threat of eternal damnation.

HarperOne found over 1,000 earthly references by greening a great many useless and obscure phrases that very loosely refer to something earthly, ANYTHING earthly. It seems that the true intention of the Green Bible is twofold: first, to get (environmentally conscious) people to spend their green on this bible and second, to evangelize to the "Greens" (people educated about the earth).

Interestingly, I found many biblical references for helping the poor and many arguments against wealth. Maybe HarperOne should highlight THOSE references, call it the "Honest Bible" and then read what they publish!

My conclusion: HarperOne just joined the ranks of low-life go-green marketers who deceive people by suggesting that they're offering something that will contribute to the sustainability and stewardship of the earth when in reality they offer almost nothing. I suppose that the "green" money people are spending on this book is the only green HarperOne really wants to sustain. They're just wasting trees and green ink. Gosh, that's not very green or Christian!

I bought this for a gift for a freind. With a title like that I was concerned about the "slant" that it would have. I was pleased when I looked at it and my friend says he has read the Bible more in the last couple weeks than the last 30 years.

How do you take care of the world God has given all mankind is very informative.
If only all mankind knew the importance of taking care of this beautiful
earth for our children & grandchildren.

There is a gap between those bibles with lots of notes and pictures, which are always over 2500 pages, and those that are small and compact, but unfortunately have print so small they are unreadable. This bible is perfectly in the middle. If you have searched for the perfect size bible then this is the one for you. Although you won't find immense notes or pictures, maps, or other stuff like time tables, or character analysis, or reading schedules, its alright because this bible will literally be the most comfortable one you've held. And who doesn't think green letters are completely awesome!?

I like it because this bible is just so different from all the rest. It is in a league of it's own. So don't get caught up in the battle of Go-green or don't Go-green.

Go unique. Go comfortable. What a perfect bible!

Green Bible's best feature is all the wonderful essays from different theological perspectives at the front of this Bible. Next best feature is a great collection of quotes from religious thinkers across the ages. Some of them could have been written just yesterday by Al Gore, Jr., but were, in fact, written hundreds of years ago. How slow we humans are to learn to Care for God's Creation!