The Holy Bible RSV Catholic Edition - Burgundy

Not much to say—it's the Holy Bible. Timeless, powerful, and foundational. Whether you're reading for faith, study, or reflection, it's a book like no other. Five stars, without question.

I couldn’t be happier with this gorgeous RSV-CE Bible! It’s perfect! I have been collecting Bibles for over 30 years, and this one is the 43rd addition to my collection. It is now one of my very favorites!!1) The cover is quite elegant with the title HOLY BIBLE and the image of the St. Benedict medal impressed into the soft cover. The spine is also quite finely detailed. The cover is a high quality faux leather which is extremely soft and matte. It feels wonderful in the hand and isn't sticky or shiny in the least. The color is an elegant, dark, muted burgundy.2) The binding is high quality sewn signatures. It opens easily with no stiffness and lies open flat on a table, which makes reading easy and hands-free. It has a gilded edge and a ribbon bookmark.3) The paper is an ivory shade which is easy on the eyes, and it is not too thin. The print size is great and perfect for those of us who don’t like the minuscule print in most Bibles. The print is dark and easy to read. I love that the words of Jesus are printed in red, so no underlining is needed there.4) Of course, it’s also considered to be one of the finest and most reliable translations available, and includes the deuterocanonical books.Now, if you are looking for the best LEATHER bound RSV-CE, checkout the Ignatius Press edition RSV-CE. It has all of the superior qualities of this Bible, but with a genuine leather cover if you prefer (different colors available) which has gold embossed icon images of Jesus and the Four Evangelists on it which make it the most beautiful leather RSV-CE on the market, in my opinion.However, if you are looking for an all-in-one hefty study Bible with a massive amount of background material to aid in your in-depth study of the scriptures, I would recommend the Oxford University Press edition of the New American Bible (NAB) revised edition. The official title of this Bible is, “The Catholic Bible Personal Study Edition”. It is available in paperback and hardcover.Back to the review of this St. Benedict Press Bible…I’m so grateful to St. Benedict Press for publishing this all around superb Bible. They took great care in its design and quality. The low price is extraordinary for the quality, and I highly recommend this wonderful Bible without any reservation. I hope this review has been helpful.

I bought this Bible to replace an inexpensive paperback RSV-CE Bible from the Catholic Truth Society, which is has just about fallen apart with use and age. Although I own many different translations of the Bible, in a variety of languages, I have long preferred the RSV, but never had a nice edition, so this purchase was a treat to myself.Everything other reviewers have said about the beauty of this Bible is worth repeating: the quality of the materials is wonderful, the typography and layout are beautiful and highly readable, and the binding is well made and looks very durable. I bought the burgundy version in synthetic leather ("premium UltraSoft"), on the strength of other reviewers' recommendations, although normally I would prefer genuine leather. Now having held and seen the synthetic leather version, I can see why others have recommended it -- it is much softer and more supple than genuine leather would be, so much that it invites you to touch it. The title and Benedictine emblem on the cover are deeply debossed, sharp and clear, and the burgundy color (more of an oxblood, actually) is very dignified -- much nicer even than black. Inside, the materials are of high quality, as well.My previous RSV Bible suffered from small, rather smudgy, hard-to-read type, a problem I wanted to avoid in this purchase. I had debated buying the large-print version of this edition, but decided not to, simply because the book would be a little larger than I would like; as it happens, the standard-size type is perfectly readable, very crisp & clear, and the typeface is quite elegant.I notice that the few reviews which have any negative remarks base those remarks solely on the the purchasers' disappointment at finding that this edition lacks features they desired, rather than any actual defects of the product. People, please read the product description carefully, and don't buy something that isn't what you want! I can't imagine that anyone who purchased this Bible, after having read the features it includes (and noted those it lacks) would have any reason to be disappointed. This is clearly not a study Bible, nor does it pretend to be one; it is, however, beautifully designed for devotional reading. Having the notes at the back of the book, rather than at the foot of the page, allows one to read without distraction. I, for one, find footnotes all too tempting, so I'm glad this edition removes the temptation to break up my reading of the sacred text by glancing at the footnote. The appendix with a table of lectionary readings also suits this Bible as an aid to devotion, making it easy to read the passages for the day's Mass meditatively, before, after, or instead of attending Mass. I have not noticed any other Bibles that have this feature, but I think it should be standard in any Catholic Bible.I am delighted with my purchase of this Bible and hope & expect that I'll be using it for many years to come.

I've read several types of bibles in the past few years, but I could never seem to find the right one. I wanted one that was easy to read (bad eyesight), easy to hold, non-inclusive language, compact, and not full of distracting notes. I also wanted an RSV with a leather type cover. This checked all the blocks. The bible is compact, flexible, easy to hold, and is easy to read. The notes are minimal, and they are at the end of the Old and New Testaments. I am not distracted by notes on every page, and can get into an uninterrupted rhythm of reading. The print is small, but it is very crisp, clear, and easy to read, even with my bad vision. the pages are guilded, but they do not stick together. This bible is a joy to read!