So you’re buying a Bible…consider this one: the CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible

In a previous post, I considered the main questions you need to ask when considering a new Bible:

1. Purpose: what are you using the Bible for?
2. Font: how big are the words, and what color are the words?
3. Size and Weight: how big is the Bible, relative to use?
4. Features: what does it include besides the text of Scripture itself?
5. Constitution: how robust are the materials?
6. Price: what can you personally afford?

Here, I’ll give a tour of a specific edition to see how it lines up with those main categories. For this review: the CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible (AFSB).

Overview

I’ll state the truth up front: I adore this Bible. I love (almost) everything about it. It’s probably one of the most enjoyable discipleship resources I own, and I would gladly recommend it to Christians looking to deepen their faith. I would not recommend it as someone’s first study Bible. But I would easily recommend it as their second. Unlike most study Bibles that have current commentary from today’s scholars, all the notes in the AFSB are adapted from the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, a series that collects sermons, commentaries, and exegesis from the Early Church. So, with each page of Scripture, you get a snippet of how Early Church leaders read these passages and grappled with their significance for the life of the congregation. And though I don’t always agree, I’m always inspired. Combined with thoughtful introductions, helpful articles, and gorgeous printing, this edition is a joy to use.

Considerations

Purpose

The Ancient Faith Study Bible is perfect for personal study and devotional reading. It’s big (see below), so it wants to stake out a place on your desk, table, or nightstand and live there. Compared to many other study Bibles, this one is not laden with numbers, footnotes, and cross-references, allowing it to have a smoother feel for longer, sustained reading. Coupled with the notes from Early Church commentaries, this Bible aids and rewards personal meditation.

Font

The AFSB is printed in a generous 10.25 font with 8 point notes, all the words in black. This makes the Bible very readable in both text and notes, a balance many study Bibles struggle to find. As an added point of elegance, all the verse and chapter numbers are printed in a dark red. This color difference allows the reader to focus more on the words, and let the reference points blend into the background more. As a result, this Bible makes longer reading sessions quite comfortable, provided you have a place to rest the Bible while reading. That leads to…

Size and Weight

It’s big. Very big. If you’re holding it, you’ll need two hands. It’s not that heavy, but it is unwieldy. However, for what it is, the size is perfect. This Bible doesn’t want to travel; it wants to stay put near your journal in your favorite reading nook. The larger footprint lets the text breath and gives room for those larger fonts. So better to embrace the size and enjoy what it offers.

Features

As stated, this is a feature-rich study Bible, with a focus on letting you experience Holy Scripture alongside some voices from the past, who can speak into your study. This Bible is not jam packed with cross-references, so the pages themselves are quite approachable. But as a whole package, this Bible offers numerous resources along with the text:

• The notes are incredible, with most pages offering at least two selections from an ancient commentary or sermon. 
• The pages are interspersed with profiles of Early Church leaders and Early Church controversies, so one gets a grasp of how the Church used the Bible to address the challenges of the day. 
• Each book of the Bible has a thoughtful, one-page introduction, hitting the highlights of author, provenance, and theme, plus an example of what the book meant to the Early Church. 
• There is a robust concordance and biographical index for the writers. 
• There are several excellent maps, offering some visual aid to the historical events of Scripture.
• There are three valuable articles to help frame your encounter with the thought of the Early Church:
  • “Reading the Bible with the Church Fathers” by Trevin Wax,
  • “Christology of the Ecumenical Councils” by Fred Sanders, and
  • “Participation in the Trinity” by E. Ray Celndenen.

Needless to say, this edition of the Bible was thoughtfully designed to give the reader an immersive experience with Scripture and church history, and it succeeds.

Constitution

The AFSB comes in four styles. I’ve worked with the hardcover and the leatherbound, and each are fantastic. The hardcover version has lovely paper, two ribbons, and strong binding. The leather version adds art gilding to the pages, plus a third ribbon. The ribbons are high quality, and the paper has a very attractive yellow tint. The paper weight is also a bit thicker than normal Bible pages. Bleed-through is apparent but not distracting, due to line-matching and paper weight. The binding allows the Bible to lay flat, even in the early and later books. And the covers are hardy enough to withstand a good amount of use. Altogether, this is a very well-made Bible. Despite my comments on the use of the Bible, the hardcover can easily stand up to travel on its own. I would not travel with the leather version, as the goatskin feels more delicate and risks getting creased if not carried in a case.

Price

Hardcover price: $50. Goatskin leather: $180. Either way, the price is competitive. If you’re looking for a mid-range study Bible, the hardback is an excellent value. And luxury heirloom Bibles frequently command well over $200. So if you’re in the market for a Bible that you can pass on for a generation, the goatskin “Holman Handcrafted Edition” is worth investigating. It might not be as premium as some other luxury brands, but the quality binding, soft cover, rich paper, and richer content make it a worthy candidate for your “one very nice Bible” purchase. Again, this wouldn’t be my first study Bible, but it is my favorite. If it came in the ESV, I would be even happier, but as I noted previously, the CSB translation is a wonderful secondary translation for my devotional purposes. In this volume, it’s a tremendous resource for personal growth, and I hope more people add it to their libraries.

With gratitude to Holman Publishing for providing this review copy.