Description:

First published more than a quarter century ago, The Catholic Bible: Personal Study Edition has long served readers eager for a reliable, accessible guide to lead them into the biblical text. Thumb-indexed for convenience, this third edition is fully revised and augmented with new study aids such as in-text essays on topics that enhance one's reading of the text. The "Reading Guides" that come before the text of the New American Bible Revised Edition -- the translation used in the great majority of U.S. Catholic parishes -- provide a concise, accessible overview of each individual book of the Bible, leading readers through the backgrounds, characters, and messages of all the books and their implications for our lives today. Lay people -- individuals or members of study groups -- students, and general readers will all find essential information in a form that is easy to use and organized for quick reference.
This Edition:

• Fully revised
• A comprehensive study system includes Reading Guides and Questions to inspire further reflection on each book of the Bible.
• In-text brief essays treat topics of more general concern such as authorship, the nature of prophecy, historical significance, and the role of scholarship in understanding the Bible
• Marginal references in the Bible's text refer to relevant sections in the study materials
• Further essays explain matters such as the Lectionary, biblical history, and how Catholic scholarship relates to other faith traditions
• A full glossary explains scholarly and biblical terms
• A 32-page, authoritative color map section and place-name index provides geographical context for the Bible's history
• Complete Lectionary readings help in planning study geared to the Church calendar
• Marginal references in the biblical text that point to specific pages in the Reading Guide are screened for greater visibility
• A 25-page glossary defines biblical terms with which students may not be familiar
• A 36-page section of authoritative, full color New Oxford Bible Maps (with place name index)