The Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition [Leather Bound]

Ignatius Press (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2005

A completely new typeset and designed edition of the popular Ignatius Revised Standard Version Bible, with minor revisions to some of the archaic language used in the first edition. This revised version is a contemporary English translation without dumbing-down the text. This second edition of the RSV doesn't put the biblical text through a filter to make it acceptable to current tastes and prejudices, and it retains the beauty of the RSV language that has made it such a joy to read and reflect on the Word of God. Now the only Catholic Bible in standard English is even more beautiful in word and design!

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In addition to the outstanding treatment of the typeset and fidelity to the sacred texts, this particular bible features a beautifully crafted flexible bonded leather cover designed by our artists, making it a joy to both hold and behold. The front cover has a gold-foil stamped iconographic image of Christ, set within the representative symbols of the Four Evangelists. It is exceptional for its classic beauty, durability, and ease of use. There are also softcover and leather hardcover versions available from Ignatius Press.

Product Details

• Leather Bound: 1070 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (December 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898709369
• ISBN-13: 978-0898709360
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

252 of 260 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars RSV SCE is Excellent!, October 18, 2006

By 

Lance E. Goldsberry (Minneapolis, Minnesota United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (Leather Bound)

I am an ardent lover of the RSV bible. It has been my bible of choice for nearly 30 years. With the second Catholic edition, archaic language has been removed, and thus the RSV SCE is an excellent alternative for Catholics to the NAB and NRSV. I give the RSV SCE 5 stars.

I very much like that the designation, "Only Son," has been replaced by "Only Begotten Son" in John's gospel. This conforms more closely to our Nicene Heritage. I don't like the translation, "Only Son," as most modern versions have, even though that translation has merit.

The RSV SCE offers some welcome concessions to the Catholic understanding of the text. I mention two: 1) The Angel's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28 is rendered as "hail, full of grace,the Lord is with you" rather than "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" as in the original RSV. 2) Isaiah 7:14 uses the word "Virgin" rather than "young women" as in the original RSV. This change is legitimate, even though the Hebrew simply has "young woman." The Bible of the ancient Christian community was the Greek Septuagint, which was considered inspired in its own right. The Septuagint uses the word "virgin (parthenos)" in Isaiah 7:14.

One might hope that eventually, the RSV SCE will replace the New American Bible in all Enlish language Catholic liturgies, both here and abroad. Some Churches are already taking advantage of the RSV SCE. The new RSV SCE Lectionary has been approved for use in the Roman Rite by the Antilles Bishops Conference. The new Ukrainian Catholic Divine Liturgy Service provides New Testament quotes from the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. The RSV SCE is literal, literary, and reliable.

For me, as a Byzantine Catholic, the best bibles to use are:

-The RSV SCE
-The Douay Rheims version
-The Confraternity New Testament
-The Orthodox New Testament (by Holy Apostles Convent)
-The New Testament by Ronald Knox
-The Third Millennium Bible (a recent update of the KJV, which only updates the most obscure language, and includes the Deutero-Canon/Apocrypha, and is based on the Byzantine Text)
-The Orthodox Study Bible (which uses the NKJV; wish they would have used the original KJV or the RSV) by Conciliar Press

All of these versions with the exception of the Confraternity Bible should be available on line. The Confraternity Version is available from Scepter Press.

The fact that the original RSV has spawned three major revisions - the NRSV, the RSV SCE, and the ESV- is a testimony to this great bible. Originally scorned by some conservative Christians (very unjustly, in my mind), it has aged well, and ironically has come into favor with many traditional Catholics and conservative Protestants. And now this new edition of the RSV SCE will help ensure the legacy of the RSV.

I recommend the RSV SCE heartily to all.

115 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very much improved, March 27, 2006

By 

Jamie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ignatius Bible: Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (Leather Bound)

I have been using the old edition of the Ignatius RSV for two years. I love the text, but the format was horrible. When I heard this one was coming out, I was hoping for a good improvement over the last one. And it didn't disappoint me!

--Better-quality paper
--The asterisk notes are on the bottom of the page, not at the end of the Old/New Testament
--The margins are wider and perfect
--The font is more appealing
--Section headings
--Nicer cover design and better cover material
--Ribbon to mark page
--Each book starts on a new page
--Color maps at end of Bible

They also changed "thou" to "you," but the rest of the text is exactly the same as the beautiful RSV first Catholic edition. Definitely worth the money!

118 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not perfect!, March 31, 2008

By 

Timothy Mccormick - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version - Burgundy - Second Catholic Edition (Paperback)

I was very excited when the RSV-CE second edition was published a few years back. It seemed like it would be the perfect Bible for Catholics, however I must say that I found myself not completely satisfied.

The Good Points:
1) The translation has been updated and altered slightly, in particular the removal of the "thees" and "thous". They also made good alterations to such passages in Matthew 16 and Isaiah 7.

2) The cover is beautiful.

3) The inclusion of maps at the back is much needed.

4) They added chapter headings.

The Bad Points:
1) Depending on the lighting of the room, I find the paper and page lay-out to be difficult to read. (BTW, I am not old nor do I wear glasses)

2) There is no information provided to tell the reader which changes were made to the text.

3) I am surprised that there are not any editional study helps, like a concise concordance or Mass Readings or Dei Verbum.

Ultimately, is this edition better than the older editions of the RSV-CE? Yes! But it is certainly not ideal in my mind, and could have used some additional study helps and a list of the Mass readings.