The Abide Bible

Mar 2

Exploring this unique and engaging Bible design from Thomas Nelson.

Last year the folks at Thomas Nelson released the Abide Bible, a new design created in partnership with BibleGateway.com and the Taylor University Center for Scripture Engagement that is intended to help people “experience the peace, hope, and growth that comes from encountering the voice and presence of God in Scripture.” I’m sure the development of this project was years in the making, but the fact that it arrived during a global pandemic seems providential. I don’t know about you, but I can always use a little but more of God’s peace and hope in my life these days.

As I read through the promo material on their website, it was clear that the Abide Bible is a project that was thoughtfully designed, and I’m happy to report that the execution of this design was extremely well done. The moment I pulled the Abide Bible out of its box, I knew it was special.

Check out the video below to get a closer look at the Abide Bible, and keep scrolling to see photos and read my written review.

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NKJV Abide Bible – Overview

Thomas Nelson offers the Abide Bible in two translations – NKJV and NET – each of which comes in hardcover as well as Leathersoft editions. The Bible you see in my review is the NKJV Abide Bible in Brown Leathersoft, and it is gorgeous. This is one of those Bibles that feels great in your hands and really shows an impressive attention to detail from the publishers.

The text block of the Abide Bible is 6” wide and 9.25” tall, and it measures about 1.75” thick, including the cover. Inside you’ll find a 9pt typeface that is line-matched on 36 GSM paper. As you can see in my photos, the Abide Bible includes accent colors for the headings and chapter numbers, and it contains full-color images of historical artwork. The text of Scripture is in a single-column format on the inner two-thirds of each page, and the outer third contains prompts for the five-part Abide study system (more details below). The Abide Bible does not include traditional reference features like textual footnotes or cross-references, but it does have detailed book introductions and other articles.

FEATURES
• 9pt type size
• 6” x 9.25” trim size
• 1.5” thick
• 36 GSM paper
• Line matched, single-column biblical text
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Two ribbon markers
• 5-Step Abide Study System
• Lined Note Paper
• Full-Color Bible Maps

Engage Deeply

The Abide Bible features five different ways of engaging with Scripture, each of which appear as prompts throughout the Bible:

Contemplate: the “Contemplate” prompts remind me a lot of a practice called Lectio Divina, and they encourage readers to meditate on a passage of Scripture in order to experience God's presence through the words of the Bible.
Journaling: the “Journaling” prompts give readers a starting point for focusing and reflecting with specific questions to answer, using your own journal or the lined note paper in the back of the Abide Bible.
Picture It: the “Picture It” prompts are perhaps the most unique aspect of the Abide Bible, because they invite readers to place themselves in a biblical narrative as a bystander or participant in important events.
Praying Scripture: the “Praying Scripture” prompts invite readers to pattern their prayers after specific biblical texts.
Engage Through Art: the “Engage Through Art” prompts (my favorite aspect of the Abide Bible) show readers a piece of art in order to create deeper meditations on scriptural truths.

There is a lot going on here, and it could easily turn into a mess, but the Abide Bible’s design and content are so thoughtfully put together that it really works. If you follow the prompts, it creates a unique and meaningful experience of reading the Bible.

Bottom Line

I’m impressed with the Abide Bible. It looks great, it’s got a unique approach to studying the Bible, and it offers readers a way to engage with Scripture in a meaningful way. If you’re looking for a little spark when it comes to reading and studying the Bible, I definitely think the Abide Bible is worth checking out.

Keep scrolling for links to where you can purchase the Abide Bible.