Much like Manning himself, I found this Bible difficult to
categorize. It is not clearly a study Bible, nor a daily reading Bible. Perhaps
the closest description that I could provide is that it is a meditational
Bible. Manning’s ideas and understanding of gospel truths shine through in each
of his additions. Jesus figures big in Manning’s thinking and on nearly every
page, his focus on God’s graciousness through the person of Jesus shines
through. In one of the first reflections linked with Genesis 22:1-19 entitled “Testing”,
Manning wrote “Have you grappled with the core question of your faith, which is
not ‘Is Jesus God-like?’ but ‘Is God Jesus-like?’ Do you comprehend that all
the attitudes, values, qualities, and characteristics of my son are mine; that
he who sees Jesus sees me, his father?” (page 25).
I find Manning enigmatic. I was reluctant to read anything
he wrote for many years because he was one of those “mystical” Christians. Then
I heard that the late singer Rich Mullins was deeply moved by him, so I decided
to read The Furious Longing of God and I was drawn in. Manning painted a
beautiful picture of Jesus that I could stare at for hours. There were times
when I would find myself scratching my head in wonderment asking, “is that
right?” Regardless, in reading that book and several others by Manning, I have
developed a deeper appreciation for God’s steadfast love toward me. This Bible,
drawing from a lifetime of writing, helps the reader to see that grace as
well.
The version of the NIV Ragamuffin Bible that was graciously
sent to me by the publisher was a hard cover, with stock paper, and a dust
jacket. From the Zondervan website, it appears that it is also available in an
ePub format and an Italian duo-tone (which would be my preference). The paper
and print is clear. It is presented in a 2 column format. The typeface is small, but it contrasts well
with the page, improving readability. My preferences would be for a single
column Bible with sufficient margin space to be able to jot notes if desired.
Having said that, the Bible is relatively easy to navigate and read.
The Bible is
presented in the NIV (2011) translation. Growing up, my first Bible was a NIV
(1984) translation, which to my understanding was the most commonly used Bible
for many years. The publisher went through a period when they updated to the
TNIV, which modernized much of the language, and in short order (I presume due
to the lack of popularity), released the latest rendition of the NIV. I believe
it is an improvement over the TNIV, but most people will remain most familiar
with the 1984 version. One of my particular concerns is how they chose to
translate certain verses, which may change meaning. For example, in the
original NIV84, Psalm 8:4 was translated “what is man that you are mindful of
him, the son of man that you care for him?” In the 2011 version, this was
changed to read, “what is °mankind that you are mindful of °them, °human
beings that you care for °them?”
My preferred version, the ESV, reads “what is man that you are mindful
of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” You can see that ESV and
NIV84 translate identically, whereas the newer version removes gender pronouns.
Overall, I would
recommend this Bible. I believe it would be a good Bible to use for a daily
reading program. The interspersed notes from Manning would add some additional
insight into the gospel of grace and would provide the reader with a sense of
Manning’s writing. There are some subtle changes I would make to the Bible
(larger margins, for example) and translation (perhaps the ESV) , but on the
whole, this is a solid product from a respected publisher.
*The publisher provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®
*The publisher provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®
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