This is a new edition of the New Testament with the Psalms in a nicely bound (leather effect) pocket edition.
It uses the translations in the Lectionary (New Jerusalem and Grail, respectively), which makes it ideal for those preparing to read at Mass. It is copiously annotated, with an overall introduction, and introductions to each book, by the Benedictine Biblical scholar Dom Henry Wansbrough. In accordance with the Holy Father's wishes, the name Yahweh has been replaced by The LORD.
It also has colour maps inside the front and back covers, and there is a very useful index of places which refers to a grid on the appropriate map. Likewise, it has tables of Sunday, weekday, and Breviary readings.
All in all, this looks an excellent edition, even down to the ribbon place-marker, and it costs less than £10.
A somewhat more critical review of the CTS Bible may be found at http://www.churchinhistory.org/pages/orchard/ctsbible%282007%29.htm
ReplyDeletePatricius, Thanks for this interesting link. I will read all Dom Wansbrough's notes with renewed attention...
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think this shows an interesting modern dichotomy which is developing in Scripture scholarship, which I allude to here: http://marklambert.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-gospel-according-to-st-matthew.html in my piece on Matthew's Gospel (where I assert its primacy). Received opinion for the last God knows how many years, has indeed been that Mark's Gospel was written first, and that the four Gospels were written by ever more distant disciples. As we study more, however, we find out that it is more likely the Tradition is correct. The primacy of Matthew is also asserted by the Holy Father here FYI: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20060830_en.html
ReplyDeleteI quote: "let us remember that the tradition of the ancient Church agrees in attributing to Matthew the paternity of the First Gospel. This had already begun with Bishop Papias of Hierapolis in Frisia, in about the year 130.
He writes: "Matthew set down the words (of the Lord) in the Hebrew tongue and everyone interpreted them as best he could" (in Eusebius of Cesarea, Hist. Eccl. III, 39, 16).
Eusebius, the historian, adds this piece of information: "When Matthew, who had first preached among the Jews, decided also to reach out to other peoples, he wrote down the Gospel he preached in his mother tongue; thus, he sought to put in writing, for those whom he was leaving, what they would be losing with his departure" (ibid., III, 24, 6).
The Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew or Aramaic is no longer extant, but in the Greek Gospel that we possess we still continue to hear, in a certain way, the persuasive voice of the publican Matthew, who, having become an Apostle, continues to proclaim God's saving mercy to us. And let us listen to St Matthew's message, meditating upon it ever anew also to learn to stand up and follow Jesus with determination."
Thanks to both Patricius and Mark: All of which shows I should be wary of reviewing things which I am not competent to review...
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I hope you will not be inhibited in your reviewing on account of the comments above. I have found your reviews both interesting and informative as well as affording an opportunity for sharing comments.
DeletePatricius
ReplyDeleteThanks for that. As it happens I am not so thin skinned... However, it does re-emphasise the importance of my reading what I review. I slipped on that this time as I've read the Gospels and Psalms many times before.
I did glance at the introductory notes, but didn't read them all the way through - and wasn't sufficiently knowledgeable to realise how controversial Marcan primacy theory was (it seemed a lot less controversial than the kinds of things they said about Gospel authorship when I was at school!)
But you can be sure I will continue to review, whether well-informed or not! And I am pleased that people read these reviews, more so when they comment, and particularly when they raise things I've missed, or correct errors I've made: it makes the whole thing feel safer!