Good Bible for Study

[Chattan]

I would like to know if anyone around here could recommend a good study Bible. Of course, I want it to honestly portray scripture and the real history and science that should accompany a real scholarly endeavor.

Here are the choices that I am considering:

1-HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version (with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books)

2-The New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha, Third Edition

3-The New Interpreter's Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version With the Apocrypha (Hardcover)

I have spent the past 3 years studying certain aspects of the Bible and have greatly increased my understanding of it. However, it would be nice to have a Bible that reflected a modern understanding of scripture and the all that goes with it.

The above listed titles seem to be the best available and I would like to know if anyone here has one or would like to suggest one that they like. Thank you for any info that you can give.

Joe

 

[evearael]

I vote for: The New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha, Third Edition. I absolutely adore this version. It takes a secular approach to the bible that is very refreshing... Of course, I love to cross reference various interpretations of the same material so get as many as you can, and research the background to get an idea of any biases in translation.

 

[Davidium]

Hey Joe,

John Buehrens, Rev. and former President of the UUA recommends the ....

wait for it.....

The New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha, Third Edition

Hands down....

In fact, there is a whole chapter on choosing the version of the Bible you should read in his book "Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals". In fact, you may want to pick up a copy of that book to go with your study... I had read the bible many times many times, but I found reading along with John Buehrens book to be wonderful.

Yours in Faith,

David

 

[lilithu]

I second, erm... third the previous suggestions. The NRSV is the almost universally recognized standard in most academic institutions, except for some of the more conservative Christian schools.

addendum:
Hey! I would love to have an online UU bible study! Anyone else up for that?

 

[Davidium]

Hey! I would love to have an online UU bible study! Anyone else up for that?

Lillithu,

I'm game. It is my intention to conduct another study of the Bible starting March 20th (my classes will be over, and my CPE interview done) in preparation for taking Old Testament and New Testament next year. I dont think I would have the time to lead such a study, but I could host it if we decided not to have it here at RF. I would even be willing to set up a private section of my journal to have that discussion in.

And I would recommend that we combine it with the John Buehrens book as a study guide.

Yours in Faith,

David

 

[lilithu]

Lillithu,

I'm game. It is my intention to conduct another study of the Bible starting March 20th (my classes will be over, and my CPE interview done) in preparation for taking Old Testament and New Testament next year. I dont think I would have the time to lead such a study, but I could host it if we decided not to have it here at RF. I would even be willing to set up a private section of my journal to have that discussion in.

And I would recommend that we combine it with the John Buehrens book as a study guide.

Yours in Faith,

David

Namaste David,

actually, I was thinking of hosting it on my own site. I am slowly in the process of putting it together and it's intended to be devoted to UU with an eye towards Pres Sinkford's call for us to be more comfortable engaging in the language of reverence and in response to the call of Rabbi Michael Lerner and others for the Religious Left to articulate our own values, and for the political left to stop being so squeamish about religion.

Bible study has been one of the ways in which I've tried to do that within my church. I organized an ASD class called "Wrestling with God" that was intended to help participants approach biblical stories from the Jewish perspective - no one correct interpretation but ongoing interpretation, based in tradition but relevent to present experience. And I recruited a friend of mine who's taken several exegetical classes on both the Hebrew bible and the New Testament at Georgetown. He's in Australia now so the classes at church are over but I'm sure he'd love to participate in such a thing again online. (Not much of a UU presence in Australia.) We didn't use Buehren's book but I've used it elsewhere and it would be nice to have a balance of different perspectives.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I'd love to peek in now and then. I have a fondness for the Tanakh.

 

[Chattan]

Thanks for the opinions everyone.

I would be up for a Bible study on-line as it would be nice to work through the Bible with others of a rational and liberal perspective.

David stated:

And I would recommend that we combine it with the John Buehrens book as a study guide.

I think that this would be a good idea as we would all be using the same guide.

Lilithu stated:

actually, I was thinking of hosting it on my own site. I am slowly in the process of putting it together and it's intended to be devoted to UU with an eye towards Pres Sinkford's call for us to be more comfortable engaging in the language of reverence and in response to the call of Rabbi Michael Lerner and others for the Religious Left to articulate our own values, and for the political left to stop being so squeamish about religion.

This sounds like a great idea for a site. I am reading that book now and his basic contention that we are lacking spirituality and replace it with materialism and other things is something that I agree with. I see this in how I was before I focused more on the spiritual (even though I still want that 50 inch HDTV) and I see it in others that look to outside sources for what they lack.

Let me know if and how I can help as I think it is a good idea.

Yours in Reason,

Joe

 

[Davidium]

I was thinking of hosting it on my own site

Lilithu, I think that is a wonderful idea! Less work for me!



Yours in Faith,

David

 

[lilithu]

Lilithu, I think that is a wonderful idea! Less work for me!

Great, I'll set it up then. I'm using the same phpBB software that you use but have a lot less experience with it. Do you think it will be sufficient to set up a separate forum for this and then each discussion (however it is that we want to break it down) can be its own thread?

I'd love to peek in now and then. I have a fondness for the Tanakh.

Of course dear friend. It would be a blessing to have your perspective.

This sounds like a great idea for a site. I am reading that book now and his basic contention that we are lacking spirituality and replace it with materialism and other things is something that I agree with. I see this in how I was before I focused more on the spiritual (even though I still want that 50 inch HDTV) and I see it in others that look to outside sources for what they lack.

Let me know if and how I can help as I think it is a good idea.

Joe, thanks for the affirmation and the offer to help. Actually I could use all the help I can get, from you and any other UUs who are interested. For the sake of thread integrity, I think it better to continue this on another thread.

Hmm... yours in reason... yours in faith... think I'll sign off as

Yours in blessed confusion.

 

[Davidium]

Great, I'll set it up then. I'm using the same phpBB software that you use but have a lot less experience with it. Do you think it will be sufficient to set up a separate forum for this and then each discussion (however it is that we want to break it down) can be its own thread?

Yes, it should work for what you are thinking... but you would need to be carefull about how you set up the permissions... If you need help with that, I'm game.

Yours in Faith,

David

 

[lilithu]

Yes, it should work for what you are thinking... but you would need to be carefull about how you set up the permissions... If you need help with that, I'm game.

OK, it's set up.

http://www.wizdum.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=23

I think I know how to work the permissions but what should they be? Do we want this to be something that no one else can see unless they are participating? Or should it be open. Or something in between. I can see advantages and disadvantages to both and bow to your experience on such matters.

Also, how often should we "meet"? Once a week? How should we break it down? I am going to have dig out Buehrens' book to see what he suggests. But I don't want this study group to be just "the bible according to John Buehrens." He's great but he has his own biases.

On a related note, I am also setting up a forum for discussing books by UUs and other religious liberals. Rabbi Lerner asked us to buy his book, "The Left Hand of God," and read it and discuss it. He didn't say where the proceeds would go, but hey, I figure it's worth doing anyway. Anyway, that's the first book that will be up for discussion, if anyone is interested.

http://www.wizdum.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=25

 

[Chattan]

In regards to the Bible study, I like the idea of doing the major books that most affect us as humans and Unitarians. Also, we should discuss their historical, scientific and metaphorical aspects. So, we would study the two Genesis stories as they pertain to creation, the stories of Adam/Eve and as they pertain to human evil and concepts such as sin, the stories of the Exodus and how it pertains to human slavery and personal slavery.

I would want to talk about Daniel was not prophetic because it was written after the fact and how Isiah had nothing to do with Jesus. The New Testament would be very important and we should talk about the two very different and irrconcible birth stories. We should talk about how these stories are very powerful and important but that we need to look at them objectively to pull that wisom out.

That is my idea for a study. I don't want to work through the entire book right now but focus on the major books that affect us the most. Let me know what you think.

Yours in Reason,

Joe

 

[lilithu]

In regards to the Bible study, I like the idea of doing the major books that most affect us as humans and Unitarians. Also, we should discuss their historical, scientific and metaphorical aspects. So, we would study the two Genesis stories as they pertain to creation, the stories of Adam/Eve and as they pertain to human evil and concepts such as sin, the stories of the Exodus and how it pertains to human slavery and personal slavery.

I would want to talk about Daniel was not prophetic because it was written after the fact and how Isiah had nothing to do with Jesus. The New Testament would be very important and we should talk about the two very different and irrconcible birth stories. We should talk about how these stories are very powerful and important but that we need to look at them objectively to pull that wisom out.

That is my idea for a study. I don't want to work through the entire book right now but focus on the major books that affect us the most. Let me know what you think.

Yours in Reason,

Joe

So you want to go story by story as opposed to book by book. I'm down with that. David, what do you think?

 

[Bangbang]

I recommend going to Barnes and Nobles or Borders Bookstores and brouse the Bibles and study aides to find what you like. I find that some are biased towards certain branches of christianity. I like the ones that give critics and reviews of bible books and passages. I recommend a good bible dictionary too. Strongs publications are good.