So I was excited to find The NIV Proclamation Bible, in hopes that this need would be addressed.
First, what sets this Bible apart.
The translation utilized is that of the NIV11 -- the 2011 translation that addresses a number of the problematic translations in the NIV from the 1980s. There's a more-balanced concern with gender inclusive language here, in a way that is faithful to the original text, even while making that text accessible to twenty-first century ears.
And the introductory material offers a unique way of studying the text that avoids some of those pitfalls of common Study Bibles. The NIV Proclamation Bible's notes come in two types. The first is a series of essays written by very competent scholars who are concerned with theological education that informs pastoral ministry. The first three essays set forth what the Bible actually is (the living word of a living God), the overarching nature of this word (the fulfillment of the promises of God to save God's creation), and then declare the reliability we can have that what we have today in our Bible is actually this word as written. The following essays then turn to the practice of reading, understanding, applying and declaring this Word, from understanding the overarching message of any one book (the "melodic line"), to applying the Old and New Testaments, to the practice of preparing a sermon or bible study (either for a small group or 1-1 ministry). The last essay is a wonderful, brief, and very readable summary of how Christians have interpreted the Bible over the past two millennia.
Then The NIV Proclamation Bible turns to introductory material for each book. Which is where this Bible brings its greatest strength. All the comments are at the beginning of the biblical book, with the biblical text itself left to be read on its own terms. There are no shortcuts -- as nearly every minister will tell you -- to doing the prayerful work of reading and praying Scripture. After all the pre-reading in comments, we're left with the text itself. And that's the beauty of this book.
However, the major complaint I have with The NIV Proclamation Bible is that it retains those reading columns.
In sum, The NIV Proclamation Bible has a good deal going for it for ministers. But the formatting of the biblical text lacks a utility for reading in the pulpit itself. I suppose I'll have to keep looking.
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