William H. WIllimon and John Dominic Crossan

Richard J. Foster and Frederick Buechner

Peter J. Gomes and Marcus Borg

Brian McLaren and Anne Rice

Barbara Brown Taylor

 

ENDORSEMENTS

Church leaders and religion scholars from a wide range of denominations trust the NRSV’s accuracy and praise its readability. Read what some of the most respected religious voices in the country have to say about the NRSV.

“My very first Bible that I received as a child was the RSV. Now, the NRSV is the Bible that I use every day for study and devotional reading. The NRSV is completely trustworthy in all its translation. It is not only exactingly correct but also beautifully stated. Here is God's word made fresh and accessible for our age.”
— William H. Willimon, Bishop, the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church and Visiting Professor, Duke Divinity School

“The NRSV is one of the premier translations of the Bible; indeed, it has been a standard for all others.  It continues to deserve the widest circulation and use among scholars, students, and general readers alike.”
— Rev. Richard P. McBrien, Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame and author of Catholicism

“The NRSV beautifully balances scholarly faithfulness to the Hebrew and Greek text with the need for an up-to-date and readable English translation.  The painstaking work of ecumenical teams of biblical scholars working over many years has resulted in a reliable, gender inclusive translation that I use in personal study, college and divinity school teaching as well as worship.”
— Rev. Dr. Charles Kimball, Professor of Comparative Religion, Wake Forest University

“The best, simply the best.”
— John Dominic Crossan, author of The Historical Jesus

“The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is my first choice, both for my college classes and for my own study and devotion. The careful scholarship of the translation, the generosity of the pronouns, and the invaluable textual notations make this translation my most trusted friend in preaching, teaching, worship and prayer.”
—Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Leaving Church

“The NRSV is one of the outstanding modern translations of the biblical text.  Its commitment to using inclusive language as regards humans is a major breakthrough in Bible translation.  Its identification and labeling through notes of ancient Cush with Nubia helps in the recovery of African backgrounds to the text.  Finally, its translation of Song 1:5 as ‘I am black and beautiful’ corrects centuries of white supremacist translations of this verse.”
— Randall C. Bailey, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Hebrew Bible, Interdenominational Theological Center

“The NRSV is still the best single option in English for both the church and the academy.”
— Kang-Yup Na, Associate Professor of Religion, Westminster College

“The NRSV translation is the best one I know of for the academic classroom.”
— Dr. Kevin Mongrain, Assistant Professor, Program of Liberal Studies, University of Notre Dame

“The NRSV is one of the most accessible translations available today.  It takes advantage of the most recent biblical manuscript discoveries, upholds the literary standards of the much older King James Version, and yet presents the text in understandable and contemporary English.  It is gender inclusive where possible without altering the original meaning of the Hebrew and Greek.”
— Rev. Steven P. Brey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Religion and Chair of the Philosophy and Religion Department, Methodist University

“The NRSV is a fluid, relatively literal translation that I feel comfortable using with my students.”
— Professor Al Martinich, Department of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin

“I continue to believe that it represents the best combination currently available of accuracy, readability, rootedness in the historic English Bible tradition, and usefulness within the life of the church.”
— James V. Brownson, James I. and Jean Cook Professor of New Testament, Western Theological Seminary

“I view the NRSV translation to be the finest English Bible we have today.  Its scholarship is impeccable.  The English is accurate, approachable, and readable.  It is excellent for both public and private use.  I recommend it highly.”
— Richard J. Foster, author Celebration of Discipline

“A good translation of the Bible is one that doesn’t sound like something printed in double columns on India paper but like this morning’s edition of the New York Times.  Surprisingly often that is how the NRSV sounds to me.”
— Frederick Buechner, author of Secrets in the Dark

“Ever since it was first published, I have recommended it to students as the most reliable English translation for study purposes, and as the best for public reading in church.”
— Marcus Borg, author of The Heart of Christianity

“I have used the RSV and NRSV with great success in my classes here at Harvard.  This is the best edition available (in English) if one wants to know ‘what the Bible really says.’”
— Harvey Cox, author of When Jesus Came to Harvard

“In my opinion, the New Revised Standard Version is without peer as the best available Bible translation, for both readability and accuracy.”
— Bart Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus

 “When I need a citation from the New Testament that will be readable and reliable, I always turn to the NRSV.”
— Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

“A wider circulation of this very helpful translation can only serve to improve our Biblical literacy.  This is an enterprise worthy of support.”
— Peter J. Gomes, author of The Good Book

“I'm glad to have a variety of translations available for Bible reading—but when I want to do serious Bible study, I always consult the NRSV. It avoids the theological prejudice I sense in some translations, drawing from a broadly ecumenical group of top-notch scholars.”
— Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian

“The Bible I use on the ‘stump’ is the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). It's literally my favorite translation, both for study and for preaching. I am a Bible thumper and the Bible I thump is the NRSV.”
— Jim Wallis, author of God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong, and the Left Doesn't Get It

“The NRSV is an accurate,l literate, engaging, and thoughtful translation of Scripture.  May it be widely used!!”
— John Ortberg, author of If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat

“The NRSV is invaluable to me in both my private study and my professional work because, more than any other English translation, it allows me to capture the ancient nuances of scripture in the rhythms and context of present time.”
— Phyllis Tickle, author of The Divine Hours

 “I have used the HarperCollins Study Bible for literature classes and for my private prayer.  The NRSV translation is outstanding.”
— Ron Hansen, Professor of English, Santa Clara University, author of Mariette in Ecstasy

“I think the NRSV is the best translation on the market.”
— David A. deSilva, Ph.D., Trustees' Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary

“For many years the NRSV has been my standard biblical text both for daily use and for quotation in my books.  I particularly appreciate its careful fidelity to the original texts.”
— John Polkinghorne, author of Belief in God in an Age of Science

“The NRSV provides the best scholarly translation using recently found manuscripts with indications where alternative readings have either been rejected or compared.  Its use of inclusive language is also an important value.” 
— Donald G. Emler, Professor of Religion, Wimberly School of Religion

“The NRSV is my principal translation for Bible study, sermon writing, and worship leadership.  I use it with the confidence that it reflects the highest scholarship and with the joy of knowing that it is embraced by a broad ecumenical community of churches.”
— John H. Thomas, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ

“I have been reading and studying the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible as my preferred translation since its original release.  I appreciate the accurate rendering of the text in contemporary language while at the same time maintaining echoes of the grand phrases of the King James.  I trust the NRSV for its scholarship, accurate translation, and ability to communicate across the varied Christian communities.”
— Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada

“The NRSV is indispensable for serious study of the Bible.  Over and over again, it powerfully illuminates the more difficult passages in the beautiful King James and the Douay-Rheims Versions.  A joy to read.”
— Anne Rice, author of Christ the Lord

 “I’ve relied on the NRSV for forty years. It’s more than the translation religion book publishers turn to for clear and accurate quotes in their books; it’s one they look to for their own spiritual nourishment. Congratulations to Harper San Francisco for sharing this gift in so many helpful ways with the entire religious community!”
— Michael Leach, Publisher Emeritus, Orbis Books, and past president of both the Catholic Book Publishers Association and the ecumenical Religion Publishers Book Group

“The NRSV translation of Holy Scripture presents an elegantly readable text that's fully Catholic and combines the best biblical scholarship with a superb pastoral sensitivity.  This translation, approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is a wonderful resource for anyone who desires to draw closer to God’s Word through prayer and study.”
— Graziano Marcheschi, director, Lay Ministry Formation, University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary

 “The NRSV is the most honest, accurate, and legible version of the Bible that I have come across.”
— Matt Semanek, Youth Minister, Alive in Christ

“In public worship, the NRSV is the Bible I always use. In personal study, it is the version I begin with. Why? In part, yes, because of its use of inclusive language. When the NRSV was first published and I began reading it, I suddenly found other versions’ exclusiveness as to gender jarring to the senses. Equally important are the superior quality of the NRSV in its faithfulness to the oldest available texts and the sheer beauty of its translation of those texts. The NRSV is quite simply the finest English translation of the Bible to date.”
— Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey, Executive Director, Alliance of Baptists

“I recommend the New Revised Standard Version because it achieves three admirable goals: to make use of the latest and best manuscript evidence for the text of the Bible, to retain the literal meaning of the text, and to communicate that meaning in clear, unbiased English.”
— David G. Clark, Professor of New Testament and Greek, Vanguard University

“I would encourage the use of this translation and in particular, the use of this edition of the NRSV. It will find its place among those who seek God’s guidance and direction from a perspective of those who take seriously the historical critical method of interpretation, but who also hold dearly to the authority of God’s divinely inspired record of His written revelation.”
— Dr. Art Allen, School of Christian Studies, Howard Payne University, Brownwood, Texas

“The NRSV is my favorite translation of the Bible—it is sensitive in theory, reliable in translation, and practicable for the Church.”
— Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University

“An excellent translation for both teaching and preaching.”
— Professor Andy Vaughn, Chair, Deparrtment of Religion, Gustavus Adolphus College

“The NRSV is unparalleled as a translation suited for the academic study of scripture. By paying close attention to the latest knowledge about Hebrew and the biblical world, it helps the contemporary reader grasp the meaning of the text as the ancient audience would have understood it.”
— Professor Carol Meyers, Duke University

“The New Revised Standard Version is—by far—the finest contemporary translation on the market. It is even handed in its perspective; it is judicious in its handling of the Hebrew and Greek vocabulary; it represents the meaning and purpose of the original texts more faithfully than most others now on the market; and it is a pure pleasure to read. It is, simply, the best.”
— Roy L. Heller, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Perkins School of Theology/Southern Methodist University

“Our customers (from various denominations) look to us for recommendations.  When it comes to Bible translations—we always recommend NRSV first.  We trust in the scholarship of its nonsectarian formation and know that our customers appreciate its readability.”
— Nancy Marshall, Episcopal Bookstore, Seattle

“Can Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant scholars agree on the English meaning of the text of the Bible? The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible proved the answer is a hearty yes! The NRSV continued a four-hundred-year-old tradition of translating the Bible into elegant contemporary English begun by King James’ beloved authorized version of 1611.  The NRSV faced criticism when it first appeared for its decision to use gender-inclusive language in the translation when the biblical authors were addressing audiences made of both men and women. However, that decision has stood the test of time, being adopted by virtually all major translations since then. But none of them match the NRSV’s record of accurately conveying the nuances of the original biblical texts while avoiding theological biases in translation decisions. The NRSV is still the most trustworthy translation available today. I commend HarperCollins for its commitment to making it available to a new generation of English readers.”
— Dr. Steve A. Young, Chair, Department of Philosophy, McHenry County College

“The NRSV is a beautiful and accurate translation of Scripture.”
— Brent A. Strawn, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology and Graduate Division of Religion, Emory University

“A readable, accurate, yet elegant translation of the Scriptures.”
— John M. Norris, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology, Institute for Religious and Pastoral Studies, University of Dallas

“Our book editors like the NRSV because it is clear and authoritative and the language is accessible to our audience of readers. We recommend NRSV often to our authors.”
— Lisa Biedenbach, Editorial Director, St. Anthony Messenger Press