The Green Bible [Flexibound]

I recently purchased a Green Bible before release date at the local bookstore in my city. At first I wasn't sure what to make of this Bible with its eco-friendly emphasis, but I am glad that I remained open to take a look at it and consider it!

For one the Bible is a devotional one, and one that is not as intrusive as most devotional Bibles that force the reader to adopt or consider the publishers views and interpretative moves throughout the text. Here you'll find essays at the beginning of the Bible and a list of references and study helps at the end. Secondly, the font and paper quality is amazingly durable and comfortable on the eyes. As many know, the NRSV is a great translation but finding an NRSV that you can read and enjoy is like trying to find Atlantis. The Green Bible delivers in that area and I would say that this is the best NRSV Bible in the market for readability.

The green highlights throughout the text, while not intrusive, does take some time to get used to. Especially when you are reading it for devotional purposes or for study, but don't let that hamper you from buying it. After a few days you begin to ignore the highlights and can read it with ease.

The only negative is that cover for the Bible does not feel sturdy and durable. I've carried it in my messenger bag for the past few days and have not seen any pages folded over or torn out. However, I'm careful with it. As well, expect some oil marks from your hands to develop over time on the cover since it is made from cotton.

Overall, I've been happy with my Green Bible and will begin to use it on a daily basis. I know many people will find theological fault with this Bible but I challenge those who do to actually pick one up and see what they think. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and perhaps not so judgmental.

Desmond Tutu writes the Foreword to this landmark new edition of the Bible. He concludes with this powerful affirmation: "It is possible to have a new kind of world, a world where there will be more compassion, more gentleness, more caring, more laughter, more joy for all of God's creation, because that is God's dream. And God says, 'Help me, help me, help me realize my dream.'"

This new edition of the Bible is just one stepping stone toward that dream -- just one new religious tool in a new kind of toolbox.

By simply marking Creation-care passages in green -- like the earlier red-letter edition launched a century ago -- new generations of Bible readers will find fresh focus on the green themes in Scriptures. That was the same basic principle that led to the red-letter Bibles that first appeared about 100 years ago. People needed to change their focus when reading scriptures in the 20th Century, the creators of the red-letter concept believed. For their century, they thought the central challenge was encouraging people to return to the teachings of Jesus, so they marked Jesus' words in red.

Now, at the dawn of a new century, the creators of this new edition realize that many of us want to rediscover the Bible's many teachings about the compassionate commitment we all should make to our planet and to the creatures, plants and humanity living all around us on the fragile blue ball that God provided for us. So, they've marked Creation-care passages in green for us.

That's so simple and yet so helpful. If you're a typical Bible reader, you already own several Bibles -- and this one is a smart addition to your devotional choices.

This is far from the end of the green trail for people of faith. There is a long way yet to go, even with green Bibles. For example, this is a Bible with an introductory reflection from the writings of Pope John Paul II -- but only the Protestant books of the Bible between its covers. Obviously, we also need a Catholic edition of the Green Bible. This is a weighty book. We need shorter portions of scripture printed this way. Most of the supplements for Bible study are printed as a series of introductory essays, written as this green movement is just emerging broadly in Christian churches. We will need another edition down the road, as our prayerful reflections deepen and our collective responses mature.

This truly is a milestone. If we could turn back the clock to the dawn of the 20th Century, I'm sure that most Bible readers would go out and snap up copies of the first red-letter edition to hit bookstore shelves. Now, as the first Green Bible emerges, you'll want this on your shelf.

Yes, it's a first step, but it is a major step on a crucial journey.

I love this Bible! The moment I heard about it, I was excited to get a copy. I'm happy I pre-ordered it- it's a lovely edition of the NRSV, my preferred translation, with over 1,000 passages outlined in green to show the role of creation in God's story.

There are folks who no doubt are suspicious of anything "green" or "eco-friendly", but I hope they would take a look at this Bible and realize how important the earth and the environment are to God. Numerous introductory essays highlight the crucial relationship between scripture, the divine, and creation, and the lovely concordance at the end that points to all of the "green" passages help us to find our way through the Bible with an ecological emphasis.

For years, the NRSV was slowly on its way to becoming irrelevant, supplanted by other hipper translations like "The New Living Translation" and "The Message". Thankfully, it seems that with somewhat better marketing ideas, and a more directed focus, more and more Christians will be purchasing the NRSV as their translation-of-choice.