Anselm Academic Study Bible

In my 17 years as a converted Catholic, I have used a number of Catholic Bibles. I can honestly say that the newly published Anselm Academic Study Bible , has become my go to Bible for research and study. I have already used it often to look up scripture referenced in the books I review.

This Bible comes in at a hefty 2143 pages plus an additional 16 pages of study aids. The scripture itself is the New American Bible Revised Edition. Before even getting to the scripture itself you get 97 pages of essays/articles. The Formation of the Bible; Geography, Archaeology and the Scriptures; and Sacred Scripture in the Catholic Tradition are just a few of the titles you will find in this section.

As you move into the books of the Bible itself you will find that each book begins with a several page introduction. These introductions include a brief outline of the book itself and details on the history of the book and events included in it. I cannot overemphasize this enough. These are not simply one page brief introductions these are more like multiple page essays on each book of the Bible. In addition to these essays you find the standard NAB introduction.

Some other nice features include what I will call a tab system. When you lay the book closed on its spine you will see dark blue blocks printed on the edge of the paper that separate each book of the Bible. Handy for quickly flipping through to the book you are looking for. Additionally there is a very nice “Time Line of Bible History”. Also included are some pages containing color photos of Bible places, plants and artifacts. This section is particularly interesting but, in my opinion, it’s so well done it leaves you wanting more than the 5 pages it entails. Lastly is a very nice full color section of maps.

I really can’t say enough good things about this Bible and honestly have nothing negative to point out. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a decent Catholic Edition Bible that will serve them well for years to come.
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I received a copy of this book for this review from Anselm Academic.