Red letter editions seem to me to be an example of how misplaced piety can get in the way of what's really important -- in this case, a readable text. Thanks for this review. Enhancements that contribute to this goal are worth exploring, while those that detract from it -- no matter how pious or well-intentioned -- ought to fade away.I'm not against red letter editions, not with the same vehemence I have toward verse-per-line ones. Thanks once again for your help!I'm seriously thinking about picking up the ESV to replace my old Zondervan NASB Wide-Margin, so I appreciated your side-by-side pictoral comparisons. It's call the "Side-Column Reference" edition, but you have to be careful, there were two versions, an older one had narrower margins than this one. Used tastefully for emphasis, the combination of black and red is a typographical classic, so I have no complaint on aesthetic grounds. From top-to-bottom: The ESV Wide Margin, NASB Side-Column Reference by Foundation Publishers (Calfskin) and a Zondervan NASB Wide Margin (Hardcover).
It is also worth noting that there is not line matching and a fair amount of bleed-through if this sort of thing bothers you. I don't have a strong preference, but I also think that it's easy to skip over the black letters when you have the red letters popping out of the page.
Now, I would have
On June 19, 1899, the now Dr. Louis Klopsch was writing and editorial for the Christian Herald when his eyes fell upon Luke 22:20 and the words: "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." I was sent a copy that is bound with the TruTone binding that is stitched around the edges. There is a single ribbon marker, and the only thing I would wish for is a second ribbon. It's just another example of how design choices can influence the way a text is read -- or not read -- or for that matter, red. The red letter edition doesn't go back as far as you might think. But I don't think that's what Klopsch was getting at. What's more important than the material of the cover is the fact that this Bible has a sewn binding, opens flat and has just the right balance of limpness/stiffness for one handed reading. I also want to mention that this Bible has a lifetime guarantee from Crossway. I like this layout better than the center column cross-reference style (or even my Side-Column reference NASB which I'll show you in a moment). Depending on your view of inspiration, that dichotomy between the best bits and the rest can be truly Now, obviously, if you believe the words of Christ are more authoritative than the rest of the Bible, and even at odds with other parts, then a red letter edition makes perfect sense. The first red-letter Bible was published in 1900, and the practice still seems mostly limited to the most major languages. :)What's the ISBN for the NASB you used in your comparison? But I have to confess that I’m not a big fan of it.
Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that publishes the ESV Bible and gospel-centered books. That’s in part because about 90% of it is the same as the RSV I had to read in liberal college Bible classes. Don't be shocked: the words in normal print are just as inspired as Jesus’ words. It's a great Bible, and I got if for free, so I can't complain :-)Thanks, Jayson. What do you think? Your review is helping in my decision-making process.
According to Compared to most books, the Bible features a text more footnoted and cross referenced and subdivided and interrupted than most, with an accretion of "helps" that assist (either greatly or not at all) with study at the risk of detracting from the reading experience.
Dr. Klopsch realized that these were the words of our Saviour when he instituted the Lord's Supper.
Dr. T. Dewitt Talmadge, pastor of the Brooklyn Temple where Louis and his father worshipped, encouraged him greatly by saying, "It could do no harm, and it most certainly could do much good. The nice thing about a black letter edition is, that's one less thing to get wrong.Having said all this, I have to admit that, while it may shock the traditionalists among us, I can't help admiring the use of color in today's student Bibles.
TruTone is Crossway's imitation leather. At its worst, it can be a disaster.