The Access Bible is accessible

A unique study Bible that combines a reliable translation (NRSV) with all of the helps useful to the beginning student of the Bible who is willing to engage the text seriously. It is balanced in its reliance on the best scholarship and it respects the Bible's diversity with its inherent tensions and disharmonies. Not a good choice for those who seek a single interpretation that will reinforce their existing beliefs (e.g., Christian fundamentalists and some of the more conservative evangelicals).

Excellent resource - highly recommended

Very well done Bible. Especially reommended for those new to reading the Bible. At first, I wasn't sure that there was a need for a Bible of this type. But, the more I use it, the more I like it. It is especially useful to see the notes after reading a difficult passage. I have other Study Bibles. But, other Study Bibles are more secular - this Bible is "faith-based" yet has the latest scholarship. (Yes, I have some reservations about the NRSV's sometimes-clumsy attempts at gender inclusiveness. But, that is minor quibbling.) Great book !

Excellent new NRSV study Bible

The Access Bible, the latest offering from Oxford University Press, is an impressive study Bible that has as its aim to make the Bible immediately accessible to the average reader. The edition uses the text of the NRSV Bible (recognised as one of the most readable and accurate of all modern English translations) and also comes with leading essays on various aspects of biblical interpretation, commentary, maps and even a concordance. The unique feature of the Access Bible is that its commentary is interspersed with the biblical text and not, as is common, placed underneath it. This allows the reader uninterrupted enjoyment of the biblical text. ^M