Addendum: NRSV XL

In my earlier review of the new Standard NRSV and Go Anywhere NRSV published by Harper Collins, I mentioned the NRSV XL only in passing. At the time of writing, I hadn't seen one in person. Now I have, and I'm both impressed and baffled.I'm impressed because, of the three editions available, the XL has by far the best cover. It's imitation leather, but not hardback like the Standard and not as bulky, textured and two-toned as the Go Anywhere. Instead, the XL is offered in an attractive solid tan and an even classier dark brown. As the name suggests, the XL is a bigger Bible -- the official trim size is 7.5 x 8, and the essentially square format is actually quite attractive. In spite of the size, it feels good in the hand. Opening it up, the layout is impressive, too. It's a large print Bible. The copy on the Harper Collins site assures us that "no one will feel that they have been relegated to ugly and bulky larger print editions by purchasing an XL," and they're absolutely right. The XL looks good, and the interior (unlike the Go Anywhere) rivals the Standard NRSV in elegance. Now here's why I'm baffled: once again, it feels like some great pieces were on the design table, but they were assembled the wrong way. The cover feels great and looks great, but the XL is just too big. I understand it's a large print -- but I don't need one. If you do, and you like the NRSV, there is no downside. Both the Standard NRSV and the Go Anywhere appear to have sewn bindings, so presumably the XL does too (I didn't check). But I would like the Standard much better if it had a cover like the XL. By putting the most attractive color/cover options on the most specialized of the three offerings, it seems like Harper Collins has missed an opportunity. What I'd love to see, in a future run, is the interior setting of the Standard NRSV reduced down to about 75% of its current size, with the same tan and dark brown cover options as the XL. (And while I'm wishing, I'd put two ribbons in it, as well.) Then you'd have the ultimate NRSV and probably the most attractive Bible at the low end of the price range.

J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.

Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.

Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.