R.L. Allan NRSV Reference Edition with Apocrypha

Nov 5

A closer look at the only Bible I brought with me to Oxford.

I first started using the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) during my graduate studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. The NRSV is one of the preferred Bible translations in the academic world, and it is regarded for being a widely ecumenical translation, but it’s nowhere near as widely used as popular translations like the ESV, NIV, or KJV. Because of that, the world of NRSV Bibles is significantly smaller than many other translations, and your options narrow down even further when you want something a bit nicer.

I’ve already reviewed the Cambridge NRSV Reference Edition and the Zondervan NRSV Single-Column Reference Edition (both great Bibles), and today I’m taking a look at the most recent NRSV edition from R.L. Allan, commonly known as the “NRSV1.”

Allan NRSV1 with Apocrypha – Overview

R.L. Allan & Son Publishers began printing Bibles in 1863. Originally located in Glasgow, this small, family-owned business is now headquartered in London. Allan is best known for producing Bibles with high quality bindings that are handcrafted in small batches using premium materials and traditional construction techniques. Allan uses vintage typesettings from Oxford University Press for their KJV editions, and their standard method for printing non-KJV Bibles is to take preexisting text blocks from other publishers and bind them using their own premium materials and techniques.

This most recent run of NRSV Bibles from Allan features a really solid text block from SPCK, a UK-based Christian publisher, that was printed especially for Allan in England at William Clowes Ltd on 36 GSM paper. It has a classic double column layout with cross-references in the center, a full set of Allan’s presentation pages and family records, 16 pages of Oxford Longprimer maps, and 32 pages of lined note paper in the back. All of this is finished at Charfleet Book Bindery in highland goatskin with full leather linings (my copy is black with navy blue linings and ribbons). This edition also includes the unique hand-speckled page edges that I recently raved about in my review of the KJV Longprimer 53C.

FEATURES
• 9pt type size
• 5.75” x 8.75” trim size
• 1.625” thick
• Edge-lined highland goatskin cover
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Red, blue and gold speckled page edges
• Three ribbon markers
• 36 GSM Bible paper
• Allan Presentation Page and Family Records
• Anglicized NRSV text including Apocrypha
• Cross-references
• 16 pages of Oxford Longprimer maps
• 32 pages of lined writing paper

Oxford Bound

I’m in England as I write this review, where I’m currently a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford. Since my wife and I had limited space in our luggage, I only allowed myself to bring one Bible with me. Yes, it was tough to choose just one, but this NRSV1 from Allan felt like the right choice for several reasons. There’s the connection between Allan and Oxford, and then there’s the fact that this edition features an anglicized* text block from a UK-based publisher that was printed and bound right here in England. In a way, it felt like I was bringing this Bible home.

I also considered how I was going to be using this Bible. I wanted to bring one that would work well for my personal study as well as my academic work, and I needed it to hold up well in my backpack (which it has!). I also wanted it to be understated enough that I didn’t come across as the crazy American with a super expensive Bible. One thing I love about Allan Bibles is that they don’t scream for attention. That said, I have had a couple of people mention how nice it looks.

Quick story: one of my classmates borrowed my Bible a couple of weeks ago to do the scripture reading in our Monday morning Chapel service. She then walked up to N.T. Wright (who’s teaching through Philippians this term) to confirm which verses he wanted read, and I watched him flip through my Bible. I know this is silly, but it was fun for me to watch one of my heroes use my Bible. After the service, my classmate returned the Bible to me and said, “I’m sure you know this, but this is a really special Bible.”

A Different Kind of Classic

Allan calls this a “classic reference edition,” much like their NIV1 and ESV1 editions that feature mid-size reference typesettings, but the pages of the NRSV1 are slightly larger than its NIV and ESV counterparts, which gives it a really nice margin width. As noted above, this Bible also has hand-speckled page edges that are stunning. I’m on the record as a huge fan of Allan’s red-under-gold art gilding, and I honestly wasn’t sure at first if I was going to like this hand-speckled look, but it has really grown on me.

As far as the reading experience goes, this Bible is solid. The 9pt font is comfortable to read, thanks in no small part to the fact that the text is line-matched on excellent 36 GSM paper. I like that the textural notes appear at the bottom of each column, and I love the thin dotted lines that create the center column for the cross-references. Overall, the page feels both traditional and modern at the same time, which I appreciate.

The only thing that seems odd to me about this Bible is the lack of a concordance, but considering it includes the Apocrypha, perhaps they just wanted to keep the overall width down.

* I’ve had a few people ask me various questions about anglicized Bibles, which simply means that the text has British spellings and punctuation as opposed to American. Ironically, the word “anglicized” is the perfect example (it would be “anglicised” in the UK). I don’t mind anglicized Bibles at all. Other than the occasional spelling oddity, the only thing I really notice is the British usage of quotations marks (they use single quotes where Americans use double quotes).

New Favorite?

Using this Bible every day for the past few weeks has only made me love it even more. I’m certainly excited to get home and return to my rhythm of using various Bibles (and translations) as I study, but my time in England with this NRSV1 from R.L. Allan has made me realize that all you really need is one great Bible.

This one sure is great.

Bottom line:
The NRSV1 is a classic Bible with a handful of unique features. If you love the NRSV, or just love great Allan Bibles, this one is special.