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Summary: This Bible is wonderfully put together with the Apocrypha
Review: I would like side references included, but the bottom notes are very nice also. I use both my old Harper's with side notes together with this one for study.
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Summary: Recommended study Bible but....
Review: I'd give this superb study Bible 5 stars (I almost gave it 3 stars under the circumstances..) if the publisher had the decency to sew the pages rather than merely glue 'em in! This type of binding (ironically called "perfect binding" in the bookbinding trade) is certainly not durable and will not open flat without probable risk of splitting the spine. It is quite sad that American bookbinding has come to this point, i.e., sacrificing quality for quantity. Anyhow, this Bible is wonderful regarding content, etc but count on having to replace it after a few years of hard use.
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Summary: For the Serious ecumencial seeker
Review: If you are a serious seeker or a first year theology student, this bible is ideal for those needing a fuller picture of language and background. From Jewish scholars to Christian theologians, the books are introduced for much needed perspective on the implications for the audience. Rather than detract from faith, this study bible enriches the journey with a medium-sized type face that is easy on the eyes for those late night study sessions.If you are looking for a bible to wrestle with the word of God, this study bible can stimulate the beginning of a beautiful journey.
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Summary: Great academic research combined with a solid translation
Review: If you're interested in what mainstream academics think about the Bible, this is a good place to start finding out. It's also a very useful book to have if you're trying to figure out the differences between the Sunday School and the scholarly approaches to the Bible (since many of the editors live in both worlds); finally, you'll learn the names of the some of the big-name Bible scholars, so you'll have an idea of where to go for further information. Buy this book.
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Summary: Inspired? Not hardly...
Review: My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, beware of this book. If you are not a brother or sister in Christ, please consider your souls. Jesus said we must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven. After studying this book, along with other versions and studies for the last three years, as I suspected early on, the commentaries, and much of the translation(s) are far from inspired. If you will notice from the website of the "Society of Biblical Literature", which is denoted on the front cover of the book, there is no mention in their mission statement to further the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in fact his name is not mentioned even once. Harper-Collins is in the business of selling books, not promoting or furthering the gospel. To amass such a cadre of so-called scholars, and intellectuals, in the interest of selling books, is not part of the great commission. Ask yourself why Jesus chose the men he did as disciples, rather than the most learned scholars of his day? I will point out one example from the book where the historical translation has been subverted, see 1 Cor. 7:16, and it doesn't even contextually make sense. I adjure you to look it up, those that possess a copy. Please seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and beware satan's deception... the unholy trinity. He is the author of confusion, and this book does not add to clarity. In conclusion, I refer to 2 Timothy Chapter 3, especially verse 7 "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." You may study a painting, or anything down to the minutest detail, but still miss the beauty of the whole... as in not being able to see the forest for the trees. Don't get me wrong, the Bible needs close and constant study, but with guidance of the Holy Spirit, not some editor or publisher out for a buck. May God Bless you all, and may you all come to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. All praise and thanks be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
P.S. I didn't see an option to give it less than one star, so that's why it's there.
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Summary: from the publishers of the Satanic Bible...
Review: No kidding. I went to the Harper Collins web site to try to get more information on their Study Bible. They didn't give much details, but I did learn that they also publish the Satanic Bible. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating censorship, but I am suggesting that other publishers might put your money to better use. Even if you are looking for a bible that doesn't have a conservative slant in the commentary, there are other choices out there. How about the Oxford Annotated Bible, for example?
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Summary: Not exactly a devotional aid!
Review: Not exactly a devotional aid! The contributors have all decided against the validity of much of what the Bible reports and advocates. They are far too critical, and as a result the uses of this book are diminished. Unlike, say the NIV Study Bible or the Reformation Study Bible or teh Life Application Bible, the HarperCollins Bible would not be very helpful for personal devotionals, small group studies, etc. It spends too much fuel showing how the Bible isn't really accurate and trustworthy before the user can start trying to make application to their life. Highly skeptical Biblical criticism has its place, but for a study Bible it seriously handicaps the work.
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Summary: Excellent Study Bible, With a Few Shortcomings
Review: Positives: Detailed, informative notes stressing literary and historical background. Beautifully rendered color maps. Includes the apocryphal books. The NRSV is generally a fine translation. Negatives: No concordance. No side notes (cross references are included in the annotations). NRSV's gender-neutral rendering of the text sometimes departs too much from literalness. I found that the light typeface and slightly glossy paper contributed to eyestrain. For content, I prefer this Bible to the rival NIV Study Bible from Zondervan. For presentation, I like the Zondervan edition better -- the Zondervan's font, though smaller, is darker and easier to read, and the Zondervan has side notes and a concordance. Hey, why not buy both?
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Summary: US Catholic Bishops approved of the NRSV
Review: Some reviews here note that this a "Protestant" Bible in its text and comments and dismiss it as not being worth much to a Catholic. The NRSV itself was approved for use in the Catholic Church in the US by the US Council of Catholic Bishops. They were overridden by the Vatican, which favors the NAB in liturgy.
Most everyone recognizes the great usefulness and faithfulness of the NRSV and this version ranks better than the Oxford for its more up to date comments.
It is a good study Bible for people of any denomination.
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Summary: Nothing else is a Bible cluttered market comes close
Review: The General Editor of The HarperCollins STUDY Bible, Wayne A. Meeks, a notable Pauline scholar and Professor of Biblical Studies at Yale heads a group of scholars of impeccable academic credentials. Together they have produced the finest study Bible of the past ten years. The approach is rigorously critical and scholarly. Those searching for devotional or theological commentary (which asks "What does this mean for MY life?") may be advised to look elsewhere. Meeks and company approach the biblical text as literature, and pay great attention to the cultural and social dynamics that form the character of the text. The belief is that only when the Bible is read as literature, can it be properly appreciated and understood. Thankfully no denominational, theological or religious persuasion prejudices the final interpretation of the text. Meeks has produced a Bible that acts as a paradigm for scholarly objectivity. The annotations in the HarperCollins Study Bible are more detailed than those found in other "Study Bibles" that use the text of the NRSV (like the Oxford Annotated Bible, The Access Study Bible, or the Cambridge Annotated Study Bible). The reader is not merely offered annotations and one line remarks with sparse cross-references to parallel texts, but extended commentary. I began testing the HarperCollins Study Bible by reading slowly through the Book of Job, which is perhaps the most obscure book in the Bible. For the first time, the text became thoroughly alive and transparent. The annotations were detailed yet concise, always walking a fine line between excessive commentary and necessary elucidation. At no point were difficult questions left unresolved and they were always resolved in a scholarly and objective manner. The translation used in the HarperCollins Study Bible is that of the NRSV, regarded by many scholars as the most accurate contemporary translation of the Bible. The language is gender inclusive, but only where the original Hebrew and Greek show no bias in favor of the male gender. The type font is bold, clear and perfectly sized - clearly readable - a pleasure when compared to other Bibles that use minuscule fonts. Each book of the Bible is prefaced by a useful critical introduction. Beautifully illustrated color maps can be found at the back of the Bible. The HarperCollins STUDY Bible is only printed in an edition that contains the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books. When it was first published in 1993 it was also made available in an edition WITHOUT the Apocrypha, but that is no longer the case - a move which is desirable for Study Bibles which refer frequently to these Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books. I have owned the HarperCollins Study Bible ever since its first came out. It made my reading of the Bible sheer pleasure and brought obscure books to light Many rival publications have entered the market since then (I have reviewed most of these at Amazon), but none have ever seriously challenged this Bible's superiority. It is without question and without exaggeration the single most useful Study Bible in print. I say that without feeling the least bit as if I am resorting to hyperbole. Nothing else is a Bible cluttered market comes close. As far as I aware the HarperCollins Study Bible only comes in paperback and a sturdy Hard Cover edition - no leather for aesthetic enthusiasts.
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