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Rating: 
Summary: A Great Tool for Intimacy with God
Review: Christians have used various spiritual methods and disciplines since the birth of Christianity. Unfortunately, many modern churches don't teach these methods to laypersons. One answer: the Spiritual Formation Bible. This Bible contains descriptions of spiritual methods and articles on how those methods can help nurture one's relationship with the Almighty. Each page contains a suggested technique for use with the scripture from that page. The NRSV is an excellent, scholarly translation (the widely popular NIV is also available) and the fonts and print size are attractive. Some of the described methods are ancient monastic disciplines, but they can aid in viewing the scriptures in a fresh, exciting way. If you are looking for a study Bible, look elsewhere. This one is more for the heart than the mind. If you are looking for a Bible that will help you draw closer to God, this may be the one.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Tool for Intimacy with God
Review: Christians have used various spiritual methods and disciplines since the birth of Christianity. Unfortunately, many modern churches don't teach these methods to laypersons. One answer: the Spiritual Formation Bible. This Bible contains descriptions of spiritual methods and articles on how those methods can help nurture one's relationship with the Almighty. Each page contains a suggested technique for use with the scripture from that page. The NRSV is an excellent, scholarly translation (the widely popular NIV is also available) and the fonts and print size are attractive. Some of the described methods are ancient monastic disciplines, but they can aid in viewing the scriptures in a fresh, exciting way. If you are looking for a study Bible, look elsewhere. This one is more for the heart than the mind. If you are looking for a Bible that will help you draw closer to God, this may be the one.
Rating:
Summary: Making Ancient Scriptures New Again
Review: I bought this Bible the first week of the new year and have been using it to read the Anglican Daily Office each morning. The translation itself, the NRSV, is very faithful to the original Hebrew and Greek but is also very beautifully and poetically written, as well as more gender-inclusive than many translations. Many familiar passages seem to come to life again. The Spiritual Formation Bible is a devotional Bible, not a study Bible. The focus is on drawing closer to God through meditating on Scripture. There are articles on Praying the Scriptures, Reading the Scriptures Devotionally, and Meeting God in Prayer, in Community, in the Created Order, in Everyday Life. Each page has a beautifully written devotional passage or a quote from a Christian writer. Contemporary as well as ancient writers are quoted, including several of my favorites, Aelred of Rievaulx (the patron saint of friendship), Bernard of Clairvaux, John Donne, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Philip Yancey. For those who are seeking a breath of fresh air in their reading of Scripture, I highly recommend this new Bible.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Recently I attended a class in which the leader used this bible. It was a wonderful reference for the lesson we were studying on finding God where you are. The references and side notes in this bible help draw you into the wonder presence of God, to know Him in his creation, in the church, in other people, etc.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent edition
Review: The each-page reflections compliment a reader's experience of the Bibilical message rather than confuse or crowd out personal thoughts. The authors are tops in their field. All too often the Bible has been seen as something to study. This edition invites us to see it as something to read prayerfully with our hearts.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Bible!
Review: This Bible is not only beautiful, it is inspiring, helpful, practical and a tremendous tool for the Christian seeking a deeper life with God. On the outer column of each page of Scripture is a writing which relates to a passage or a verse on this page. Unlike a study Bible which usually focuses on knowledge, or a devotional Bible which seeks to encourage, this Bible takes the reader into reflection, contemplation and action. Some readings will encourage you to imagine yourself in the story, others will invite you to do something, create something or write something based on the readings. For anyone interested in going deeper in your life with God, this is a tremendous tool. It is my new best friend! Essentially, this Bible points me to God and opens my eyes to the spiritual reality, the "unseen" which is eternal, allowing me to truly experience life in another dimension.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Bible!
Review: This is the Bible I've been seeking my whole life--even though I didn't know it. I received this as a gift (in more ways than one). This is NOT a study bible and probably not the best place to begin for those unfamiliar with the Bible. It is a wonderful devotional book for contemplative/meditative reading done in beautiful type and an easy-to-read single column format with wide margins. (A BIG plus--this is an "easy-on-the eyes" reading Bible.) Each page has (in the margin) a brief reflection that enhances and draws you into the reading. There are several articles that serve as useful introduction to reading devotionally and help you apply your reading--personally and in the wider world. Several "Meeting God in" articles (in "Prayer", "Worship", etc.) enhance the reading experience. Beautiful glossy plates with quotes from the spiritual seekers that marched before are sprinkled throughout. A wonderful edition, available in both the NRSV and NIV. Unfortunately, it is not available in genuine leather, but the quality of the bonded seems adequate. It's hard to see how anyone seeking to deepen their spiritual life could go wrong with The Spiritual Formation Bible.
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