Topic: How would you design an Orthodox Study Bible

[David]

Let's daydream for a moment... assume that copyright doesn't enter into the equation, you can use whatever you want.  How would you assemble you "dream study Bible"?

I would have:

Text:
OSB Old Testament (Not out yet, but the translation looks good, Conciliar Press)
The Psalter According to the Seventy (Holy Transfiguration)
Orthodox New Testament (Dormition Skete)

Commentary:
Abbreviated versions of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John - Blessed Theophylact(Chrysostom Press)
Epistle to the Hebrews -Abp DMITRI (SVS Press)
Epistles to the Romans, Phillipians, Colossians, Epistle to Philemon - Lawrence Farley(author, Romans - A Gospel for All, The Prison Epistles,  Conciliar Press)
Psalter - Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon (author, Christ in the Psalms, Concilliar Press)
Isaiah - Johanna Manley, ed. (author, Isaiah through the Ages, dist by SVS Press)

[David]

Also, other nonspecified commentary taken from The Bible and the Fathers for Orthodox Christians, Johanna Manley (distributed by SVS press)

[Linus7]

Well, my study Bible would have an OT that is translated directly from the Septuagint (I guess that is what the OSB has done) and would feature commentary from the Fathers of the Church. It would be extensively cross referenced and feature maps of the Holy Land (St. Paul's journeys, etc.) in the back.

And my study Bible would have heavy paper and wide margins for note-taking and highlighting.

It would also have some nice icons inside and a St. Olga's Cross embossed on the the sturdy, black leather cover.

. . . And I am guessing it would weigh about 30 pounds!  

[Jakub]

Linus,

Now you got me on the black leather cover kick, just picked up a RSV Catholic edition.

james

[David]

Linus, which one is St. Olga's cross?  I probably know it under a different name.

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

I would like to have a more exhaustive index and more study notes on doctrinal issues like predestination, supported with lengthier quotes from the Fathers.

Selam

[SolEX01]

I would like to have a more exhaustive index and more study notes on doctrinal issues like predestination, supported with lengthier quotes from the Fathers.

The thread was dormant for nearly 6 years.  Why not start another thread?   

[Gebre Menfes Kidus]

I would like to have a more exhaustive index and more study notes on doctrinal issues like predestination, supported with lengthier quotes from the Fathers.

The thread was dormant for nearly 6 years.  Why not start another thread?   

With all the content on this board, it is impossible for me to view it all. Sometimes, when I am caught up on repsonding to the many various discussions in which I am involved, I take time to peruse other topics. If I see something of interest and have a comment to make, then I do so. It seemed silly for me to generate a whole new thread just to make the simple comments I made here.

I confess that I don't really get the consternation over "resurrecting old threads." If two or three years from now someone repsonds to a thread I started, I won't mind. I mean, of course I understand the absurdity of responding to a thread that is currently irrelevant, such as "Who Will You Vote For In 2008?" But what's wrong with me responding to this topic?

Enlighten me if I am violating some code of etiquette. I don't mean to cause offense.

Selam 

[Basil 320]

You may wish to go to the "goarch.org" web site, to access the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology's bookstore.  (Maybe the "Orthodox Bookstore" at "goarch" has it too.)  Fr. Theodore Stylianopoulos, retired long time Professor of New Testament at Holy Cross, had published a bible study guide book series.  I do not recall the name of it.

(I agree with Reply #7 too.  Why not use existing data if it's pertinent to the current matter?  I would ask, why start another thread?)

[SolEX01]

I would like to have a more exhaustive index and more study notes on doctrinal issues like predestination, supported with lengthier quotes from the Fathers.

The thread was dormant for nearly 6 years.  Why not start another thread?   

With all the content on this board, it is impossible for me to view it all. Sometimes, when I am caught up on repsonding to the many various discussions in which I am involved, I take time to peruse other topics. If I see something of interest and have a comment to make, then I do so. It seemed silly for me to generate a whole new thread just to make the simple comments I made here.

I confess that I don't really get the consternation over "resurrecting old threads." If two or three years from now someone repsonds to a thread I started, I won't mind. I mean, of course I understand the absurdity of responding to a thread that is currently irrelevant, such as "Who Will You Vote For In 2008?" But what's wrong with me responding to this topic?

The entire Orthodox Study Bible (Old and New Testaments) was not published until 2008.  There are competing Orthodox Study Bible Projects (I believe there are at least 3) and the current Orthodox Study Bible is being critiqued.  When this thread was created, only the NT Orthodox Study Bible was in circulation.

Enlighten me if I am violating some code of etiquette. I don't mean to cause offense.

I think responding to long dormant threads is one of those unwritten rules of forum posting.  I sometimes look for Prayer requests that have 0 replies but not recently.   

[Orthodox Swamp Thing]

Are they going to make an Orthodox MP3 bible??

[Shanghaiski]

My ideal Orthodox study Bible would have, of course, a good English translation of an officially agreed-upon text, like the (Ecumenical) Patriarchal Text (possibly including variants from the official texts of other patriarchates. There would be, below that, commentary from the Fathers. And below that, commentary on the Fathers' commentary from eminent theologians. The whole text would be issued with the blessing of all the American ruling hierarchs. And we would all live happily ever after, provided no gross defects were found in that text, like Jesus talking to the slop.

[Justin Kissel]

I would have:
Text:
OSB Old Testament (Not out yet, but the translation looks good, Conciliar Press)

Please no!

The Psalter According to the Seventy (Holy Transfiguration)

Please, please no!

Orthodox New Testament (Dormition Skete)

Please, please, please no!

Ok, I admit that I'm protesting a bit much.

As for how I'd design an Orthodox study Bible, it'd look similar to how the Thompson Chain-Reference Bibles are, though obviously with an Orthodox view in place of the Protestant one. No commentary from the Church Fathers (except in the introduction) or one-liner notes explaining the text.

[Punch]

I don't like the idea of a "Study Bible" at all.  I would simply like a Bible that contains all of the books of the Orthodox Canon that was translated by people who actually believed what they were translating and put it into a modern, yet reverent, English.

[Nazarene]

Let's daydream for a moment... assume that copyright doesn't enter into the equation, you can use whatever you want.  How would you assemble you "dream study Bible"?

If I had to design a study Bible for Orthodox Christians I would compile a Byzantine Christian "Mikraot Gedolot" (text, translation & classical commentaries). This is what a Mikraot Gedolot looks like btw: http://www.jewishpub.org/pdf/pg%203%20from%20comm%20bible.pdf

I would have:

Text:
OSB Old Testament (Not out yet, but the translation looks good, Conciliar Press)
The Psalter According to the Seventy (Holy Transfiguration)
Orthodox New Testament (Dormition Skete)

Text:

The official texts (Septuagint & Byzantine NT) in Greek with a new English translation or the EOB translation on facing pages (requires the work to be published in several volumes). Variant readings from the Masoretic Text, Vulgate, Targums, Peshitta, Samaritan Pentateuch & Qumran Texts documented in the side notes.

Commentary:
Abbreviated versions of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John - Blessed Theophylact(Chrysostom Press)
Epistle to the Hebrews -Abp DMITRI (SVS Press)
Epistles to the Romans, Phillipians, Colossians, Epistle to Philemon - Lawrence Farley(author, Romans - A Gospel for All, The Prison Epistles,  Conciliar Press)
Psalter - Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon (author, Christ in the Psalms, Concilliar Press)
Isaiah - Johanna Manley, ed. (author, Isaiah through the Ages, dist by SVS Press)

[/quote]

Commentaries from the Fathers (newly translated) or the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series with additional explanations from modern Orthodox Theologians.

And of course:

Maps
Charts
Concordance
Dictionary/Lexicon for Greek words
Lectionary