hopperace
29th November 2006, 07:33 PM
For their first major, but 2nd or 3rd foray into a study Bible in the HCSB (Holman & Nelson briefly dabbled with a Blackaby inspired Experiencing God Study Bible before Nelson got the whole Blackaby family involved in the recently released Blackaby Study Bible, and the HCSB also has the recently released the Light Speed Study Bible), Holman has tapped into a rather odd dearth in the offering of full-color illustrated Bibles for adults (and even for children). It is a beautiful masterpiece of visual enlightenment for Bible fare. I tend to jump right to whatever disappoints I find in Bibles, so forgive me if I manage to downplay my gratitude for this offering – I really like it, and it has some very striking features. It’s introductions are top notch, its “Intertestamental History” is beyond compare, it has a healthy-sized concordance, some wonderful tidbits in “Bullet Notes”, a brief but colorful appendix, and a “One-Year Reading Plan” in the back; as well as a quick-reference “Plan of Salvation” (which I would have liked to see even closer to the front), and a thorough presentation and records section in the front. I have 2 or 3 major complaints, however. The most obvious lacking, from my perspective, is something which Bible publishers have tended to leave out of a growing number of study Bible – cross references. Apart from perhaps some theological reservations (which would seem moot in a denominational Bible translation), why would a publisher leave cross references out of a study Bible? I’m sure it must be in some considerations of particular Bible study methodologies, but its absence in the Holman Illustrated Study Bible seems glaring to me. Another characteristic I’m not completely pleased with is the particular depth of coloring in the red-lettering of the words of Christ in the New Testament – I’d much prefer a darker red type. And lastly, though no doubt prized by some cries of “don’t tell me what you think the Bible is saying” and bibliophiles enjoying the Open Bible’s wealth of information without interpretive commentary, I rather miss some splattering of Baptist theology at the bottom of each page.
Your thoughts?
Your thoughts?