I recently had the opportunity to review the new CSB Study Bible for Women that released this spring. I thought I would share my review of it by first sharing what I consider to be the pros and cons and then my overall opinion at the very end.
First the pros!
As far as study tools and features go, I think this study Bible is exceptional. The CSB Study Bible for Women contains:
- Exhaustive commentary notes
- Greek and Hebrew word studies
- Answers to hard questions pertaining to hot button topics
- Notes on various Bible doctrines
- Biblical womanhood articles
- Character profiles of men and women in the Bible
- “Written on My Heart” applications at the end of each book
- Extensive book introductions with information about the writer, the time the book was written, what else was going on in history at the time, the theme and topic of the book, and more
- In-text maps, charts & timelines, concordance, and full-color maps
- and more!
I found each of these various study features to be incredibly helpful and interesting. So, as far as the study tools themselves go, I highly recommend this study Bible if you are wanting to dig deep into the Word and come to a better understanding of it.
I also like the version this study Bible is in, the Christian Standard Bible. I had no experience using this version until I received this study Bible in the mail, but I found that I do really like it. I’m still getting used to it, as it does read in a different style than the New King James I have been in the habit of reading, but I find it to be a good balance of easy to understanding and faithfulness to the text.
And Now for the Cons
Because I am used to my journaling Bible, I found the pages of this Bible to be very thin and flimsy and the margins to be pretty small. While this is a bit of a let down, this Bible is meant to be a study Bible, not a journaling Bible, so these factors are not that big of an issue.
The one overarching main con I have with this Bible is the complementarian bent with which certain of the study notes were written. Dorothy Kelley Patterson, the general editor of this study Bible, is a staunch complementarian and this comes through quite clearly in her understanding of the meaning of particular Greek words such as “kephale” (translated “head in 1 Corinthians 11), as well as in her Biblical womanhood articles which are scattered throughout the study Bible. I do not take issue with all of her teachings on Biblical womanhood, but I do find several of them to be inaccurate and imbalanced, Biblically speaking. I would have agreed with all of her complementarian viewpoints years ago when I was a staunch complementarian myself, but I can no longer.
To Sum it Up
With all this considered, would I be able to recommend this study Bible to my friends? Yes, I actually would and in fact did so recently when a friend came to me seeking study Bible recommendations. I did, however, give her the upfront warning and caveat regarding the complementarian leaning of certain study notes and articles contained in this study Bible. I find those to be things one can take with a grain of salt. Because of this and because the other study tools are so helpful, I do recommend this study Bible for women who are looking to increase in their understanding of the Word of God.
