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Did not finish because I never intended to finish this. I picked this up so I could read the Apocrypha and essays. But I can now brag that I have read the entire KJV Bible (The Skeptic's Annotated) and the Apocrypha. Because that's the shit I brag about.
Anyways, beware 4 Maccabees. It's so gross like, FUCK, man. The Bible has a lot of violence in it, but this book was particularly bad. I got sick.
The essays were good! They were evidence-based and respectful.
I think the New Oxford would be pretty mild on a devout Christian who grew up being told that the Bible is erroneous. It gives credit where it's due, but doesn't shy away from saying that something has no evidence to back it up.
Anyways, beware 4 Maccabees. It's so gross like, FUCK, man. The Bible has a lot of violence in it, but this book was particularly bad. I got sick.
The essays were good! They were evidence-based and respectful.
I think the New Oxford would be pretty mild on a devout Christian who grew up being told that the Bible is erroneous. It gives credit where it's due, but doesn't shy away from saying that something has no evidence to back it up.
I hate this Bible. I loathe it. Every time I've tried to throw it away someone has guilted me into keeping it. There are much better versions out there.
As many others have said, this is an invaluable edition for anyone to own, even those not studying religion. The annotations are helpful and translation is superb.
0nly read genesis but a lil bit too much incest for my taste
No rating since I don't rate religious texts out of respect, but I really liked this edition. It was my first time reading the New Testament through (I read the Old Testament in a different book, The Jewish Study Bible) and I think this edition does a great job of providing the right amount of information--the annotations are helpful and easy to access without being overwhelming. I also thought the translation was easy to understand without being too simplistic. I haven't read any other edition of the Bible (besides what they gave us in religious ed when I was a kid) so I can't compare, but I would recommend this one!
Handy to have around-- the translation has a good reputation, the notes are useful, etc. I have the study bible version which provides things like intros and maps.
What did I NOT learn from this book?
This is the version of the Bible that I now use, and of the Bibles I have owned, it is the most useful. There are a number of essays at the beginning and end of the book, color maps, timelines, and all sorts of other information. Each chapter of the Bible is preceded by an introduction, placing the writing in a historical context. There are extensive footnotes on every page, explaining unfamiliar words and concepts, citing other scriptures where the ideas in the current verse appear, and commenting upon the scripture itself. It is also handy to have the Apocrypha. I do a good bit of teaching, and, trust me, I am no Bible scholar. I simply don't think I could get up in front of a group of people and intelligently discuss the Bible if I did not have this book.
This is the version of the Bible that I now use, and of the Bibles I have owned, it is the most useful. There are a number of essays at the beginning and end of the book, color maps, timelines, and all sorts of other information. Each chapter of the Bible is preceded by an introduction, placing the writing in a historical context. There are extensive footnotes on every page, explaining unfamiliar words and concepts, citing other scriptures where the ideas in the current verse appear, and commenting upon the scripture itself. It is also handy to have the Apocrypha. I do a good bit of teaching, and, trust me, I am no Bible scholar. I simply don't think I could get up in front of a group of people and intelligently discuss the Bible if I did not have this book.
Good annotations and an excellent reference source (especially for those unfamiliar with the Bible)