Back when I realized I could buy the New Living Translation on my Kindle, I hardly picked up a print Bible for years.
Everything about the ebook Bible reading experience was perfect: larger fonts, less heft, and no thin pages to gingerly flip through.
As with most innovations in technology, I adopted the new shiny thing without considering what it would change about my Bible reading habits.
It turned out that the more I added eBooks to my Kindle, the more I tended to jump from one book to another. Reading my Bible on my Kindle soon became difficult since I always had a virtual library at my fingertips at all times.
As a result, I’ve turned back to reading scripture in print form for the most part. While I’ll drop by Bible Gateway when I need to check on some scripture verses, print has been my ideal medium for more focused reading of and meditation on scripture.
That brings me to the Simple Faith Bible, an NRSV translation that includes notes and prayers from former president and long time Sunday school teacher Jimmy Carter. The Bible is produced by Zondervan and is advertised with an especially easy to read font.
I took Bible Gateway up on the chance to pick up a copy since I often preach from the NRSV translation at my Episcopal church, and the NRSV has long been a favorite for study and for meditating on scripture.
I was looking forward to having a print copy of the NRSV handy, and the endorsements from the likes of Barbara Brown Taylor didn’t hurt either.
The Simple Faith Bible’s Reading Experience
I’m not going to lie, the font in this Bible made me drop my jaw when I opened it up the first time. It’s clear, easy to read, and virtually jumps off the page. It is by far the easiest to read print Bible I’ve ever owned.
I have found it immensely useful for study and for devotional reading. While it’s not a Bible I use every day since I tend to use a prayer book quite often, it is great to know that I have this version at my fingertips whenever I need it.
It is well worth the price just to have a Bible that is so easy to read.
The Simple Faith Bible’s Extras
I honestly didn’t pick up this Bible for the extras. Carter’s devotional writings and prayers are a nice perk and always seemed to strike a relevant tone that was welcome in the reading experience. I can see his writings being a welcome break for the typical reader who may want a little help tying some themes together in a passage.
There are some translation notes that are common in any Bible version, and each book has a very brief introductory paragraph.
The book of Revelation is literally the end of this Bible. Don’t expect maps or study tools for more in-depth study. That isn’t to say that this Bible needs those extras. It just seems like the kind of thing to mention these days since so many Bibles seem to include maps.
Ed Cyzewski: Author // Contemplative 
Sounds great, thanks! “New” Bibles often fail to live up to the marketing/hype, but this sounds like a winner, both for one’s own use and for sharing/gifting.
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I tried to comment, and to like, this post, but umm well I don’t have the email-WordPress connection set up right on my phone, so dunno if anything went through… Nice work! Lizzie ERAT mobile comcast#SmashThePatriarchy
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