Rating: 
Summary: A Very Good Study Bible Overall
Review: The Catholic Study Bible is one of the best study bibles for students and scholars of biblical criticism. The biggest asset: the extensive Reading Guides, which are very helpful for gaining a historical perspective and general background on all books of the bible. The New American Bible translation and footnotes are understandable enough, but this study bible lacks an important feature: an index or concordance. This study bible is recommended mainly for those in serious critical bible study, not those in mainstream Christianity.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Bible I've Ever Read
Review: The New American Bible contains important editorial changes in the New Testament that were lacking in the original American Bible. This does not mean that the Catholic Church erred in its original translation, but that the Church felt that the original version of this bible needed clarification for the sake of the reader in order for them to fully understand the overbinding reason for the scriptures: the love of God and to place your trust in Jesus and his Word.This version gives the reader the opportunity to study the Bible and to greater understand the Scriptures and their message. After 2000 years, it is good to see the Church continues to preserve and teach the word, and to spread the gospel in a loving and caring way.
Rating:
Summary: Best Bible I've Ever Read
Review: The New American Bible contains important editorial changes in the New Testament that were lacking in the original American Bible. This does not mean that the Catholic Church erred in its original translation, but that the Church felt that the original version of this bible needed clarification for the sake of the reader in order for them to fully understand the overbinding reason for the scriptures: the love of God and to place your trust in Jesus and his Word. This version gives the reader the opportunity to study the Bible and to greater understand the Scriptures and their message. After 2000 years, it is good to see the Church continues to preserve and teach the word, and to spread the gospel in a loving and caring way.
Rating: 
Summary: O.K.--without the Psalms
Review: This is a pretty substantial Bible--and, by that I mean heavy. There are lots of articles from "big names" in Catholic Biblical scholarship. So, one will get the most up-to-date thinking on authorship, dates, readings, etc. and so forth. The translation is the same reliable NAB for the Old and New Testaments. The translation of the Hebrew Scriptures can be a little too dynamic, rendering perfectly understandable Hebrew idioms into English. But, the literal Hebrew is usually referenced in the notes. The same could be said for the New Testament. For all its girth, it is not a pretty Bible, though, and the pages are thin. My great disappointment is the bowdlerized version of the Psalms which have been "inclusivized" to the point of mistranslation. It's one thing to translate the generic word for "man" as "human being" or whatever (no, I have no problem with that); quite another to change third-person address into second-person (i.e., "He is the LORD" becomes "You are the LORD.") This is not always done consistently, however, which makes the slipshod translation look even more inconsistent and slipshod. The Book of Psalms is where the NAB's translating committee's agenda trumped its duty to translate . . . and, it is a pity.
Rating:
Summary: O.K.--without the Psalms
Review: This is a pretty substantial Bible--and, by that I mean heavy. There are lots of articles from "big names" in Catholic Biblical scholarship. So, one will get the most up-to-date thinking on authorship, dates, readings, etc. and so forth. The translation is the same reliable NAB for the Old and New Testaments. The translation of the Hebrew Scriptures can be a little too dynamic, rendering perfectly understandable Hebrew idioms into English. But, the literal Hebrew is usually referenced in the notes. The same could be said for the New Testament. For all its girth, it is not a pretty Bible, though, and the pages are thin. My great disappointment is the bowdlerized version of the Psalms which have been "inclusivized" to the point of mistranslation. It's one thing to translate the generic word for "man" as "human being" or whatever (no, I have no problem with that); quite another to change third-person address into second-person (i.e., "He is the LORD" becomes "You are the LORD.") This is not always done consistently, however, which makes the slipshod translation look even more inconsistent and slipshod. The Book of Psalms is where the NAB's translating committee's agenda trumped its duty to translate . . . and, it is a pity.
Rating:
Summary: O.K.--without the Psalms
Review: This is a pretty substantial Bible--and, by that I mean heavy. There are lots of articles from "big names" in Catholic Biblical scholarship. So, one will get the most up-to-date thinking on authorship, dates, readings, etc. and so forth. The translation is the same reliable NAB for the Old and New Testaments. The translation of the Hebrew Scriptures can be a little too dynamic, rendering perfectly understandable Hebrew idioms into English. But, the literal Hebrew is usually referenced in the notes. The same could be said for the New Testament. For all its girth, it is not a pretty Bible, though, and the pages are thin. My great disappointment is the bowdlerized version of the Psalms which have been "inclusivized" to the point of mistranslation. It's one thing to translate the generic word for "man" as "human being" or whatever (no, I have no problem with that); quite another to change third-person address into second-person (i.e., "He is the LORD" becomes "You are the LORD.") This is not always done consistently, however, which makes the slipshod translation look even more inconsistent and slipshod. The Book of Psalms is where the NAB's translating committee's agenda trumped its duty to translate . . . and, it is a pity.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent honest Catholic Resource
Review: This is probably the single best one volume resource available for Scripture study be one Catholic or non. It is readable, it is trustworthy and it carries the Catholic Church's imprematur. It is difficult to imagine who would seriously question its scholarship. In these last 50 years Catholic Biblical scholarship has truly blossomed and with the Vatican's blessing -- beginning with Pius XII. We offer today an enormous gift to the Christian world and to the world at large thanks to the work of our scholars, some of which, like the late Fr. Raymond Brown, could walk on par with the likes of St. Jerome. I would recommend this resource to anyone seriously interested in understanding the scriptures. There are other resources available. But any Christian, and certainly any Catholic ought to have this one at his/her disposal. Our scholars worked very hard to produce this edition. And they have done us, the Church, and God proud.
Rating:
Summary: This is the last Bible that I will own.
Review: This is the last Bible that I will ever need. It met all of my expectations. I really enjoy the study notes that are organized at the front of the Bible. Great Bible for Protestants as well. God Bless you.
Rating:
Summary: IT'S A BIBLE, IT DOESN'T NEED A REVIEW
Review: This is the word of GOD!!!!! it is the best book that has EVER been written, it needs no REVIEW!!!
Rating:
Summary: a good study bible
Review: This is, overall, a good study bible, but difficult for me to rate. I give it 4 stars, but really I would prefer to give it 3.5 stars. In addition to extensive notes and good introductions to the biblical books, it includes a lengthy reading guide which can serve as an introductory textbook to the bible. Really, this is a bible and bible commentary built into one handy volume. The addition of the Latin Rite 3 year lectionary is also a nice touch. Weaknesses: The New American translation is fairly good and it is the official english translation for Latin Rite Roman Catholics in the United States (Eastern Catholics use the Revised Standard Version). But it is at times excessive in its use of inclusive language and is not as literary as the Revised Standard Version. The notes are for the most part good, but tend to rely too much on modern historical criticism with not enough attention to how the Tradition has interpreted passages of scripture. I would recommend that Catholics get the New Jerusalem Bible to use with this study Bible. The notes in the New Jerusalem Bible are more thorough and more explicitly Catholic. The New Oxford Annotated Bible is also recommended (the 1977 Revised Standard Version, not the NRSV). This edition includes the entire Canon of Scripture as accepted by the eastern Churches as well as the Western Canon. The Revised Standard Version is a literal and elegant translation that has not been infected with the "political correctness" of inclusive language. The notes to the Oxford Annotated Bible are fairly good, but relect a liberal protestant bias. However, read with the Catholic Study Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible, the three make for a nice group of texts to use for bible study. Catholics should also consider the Christian Community bible commissioned by the bishops of the Phillipines. This Bible has excellent notes which combine current scholarship, devotional exegesis, and a third world concern for social justice into one package.
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