Has anyone taken the plunge and purchased this set ? Is it worth the cost ?
I went for it on pre-pub, as a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. The Anchor Bible is cited so very often, I consider it a unique resource. I am really glad I have it. But whether it's "worth the cost" is a very personal decision. Spend some time with it in print before you make up your mind.
Thnx's
I have both Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary and ISBE (original and revised). AYBD is good and has some highly credentialed people behind it. But ISBE (rev) is good too, and much less expensive. Having both, I'm not sure the AYBD is worth the price difference. For someone working on post-graduate level education, it's probably a sine qua non. For the average preacher, or even an above average one like me [;)], ISBE (rev) is probably enough. But since some people use resources differently, if you find that you're frustrated by the lack of information in ISBE (rev), you may want to consider it anyway. (The older ISBE is probably too dated to be as helpful as the revised version ISBE.)
You can also check out the discussion here:
http://community.logos.com/forums/p/6648/53411.aspx
Has anyone taken the plunge and purchased this set ? Is it worth the cost ? I have both Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary and ISBE (original and revised). AYBD is good and has some highly credentialed people behind it. But ISBE (rev) is good too, and much less expensive. Having both, I'm not sure the AYBD is worth the price difference. For someone working on post-graduate level education, it's probably a sine qua non. For the average preacher, or even an above average one like me , ISBE (rev) is probably enough. But since some people use resources differently, if you find that you're frustrated by the lack of information in ISBE (rev), you may want to consider it anyway. (The older ISBE is probably too dated to be as helpful as the revised version ISBE.) You can also check out the discussion here: http://community.logos.com/forums/p/6648/53411.aspx
I have both Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary and ISBE (original and revised). AYBD is good and has some highly credentialed people behind it. But ISBE (rev) is good too, and much less expensive. Having both, I'm not sure the AYBD is worth the price difference. For someone working on post-graduate level education, it's probably a sine qua non. For the average preacher, or even an above average one like me , ISBE (rev) is probably enough. But since some people use resources differently, if you find that you're frustrated by the lack of information in ISBE (rev), you may want to consider it anyway. (The older ISBE is probably too dated to be as helpful as the revised version ISBE.)
Sorry, I guess I was not clear in my question. I was speaking of Anchor Yale Bible (84 volumes)
http://www.logos.com/products/details/4469
Blair,
This set has recently been broken into NT (http://www.logos.com/products/details/5742) and OT/Apocrypha sets (http://www.logos.com/products/details/5740).
I am most familiar with the NT volumes (Brown on John, Fitzmyer on Luke, Acts, Romans, Martyn on Galatians, and others).
These commentaries are critical for anyone wishing to write published academic work. Their value to a pastor would be largely dependent upon the pastor's background and training.
I recently purchased the NT set but could not justify the cost of the OT/Apocrypha set for my purposes. I would like to have Milgrom on Leviticus, Seow on Ecclesiastes and a few others if they ever become available individually.
One feature of this series is that more weight was given to the scholarly reputation of authors than denominational or theological associations. As a result, volumes vary greatly on theological perspective.
These commentaries are critical for anyone wishing to write published academic work.
I was planning to write a commentary and was looking at them for that very reason. Thnx
Sorry, I guess I was not clear in my question. I was speaking of Anchor Yale Bible (84 volumes) http://www.logos.com/products/details/4469
My bad. Should have read more closely. AYB is pretty uneven in quality (IMHO). Assuming you're writing a commentary on just one book of the Bible, you probably don't need the entire set anyway. If there is a theological library nearby, you may want to go and look at these commentaries and work with them a bit before spending that kind of money. Or see if your local library can get a copy through an inter-library loan. As uneven as this set is at points, you may be delighted or disappointed with what you find. I'm not going to buy a $2000 guitar without sitting down and playing it for a while. Nor would I do that with a set of commentaries I'm unfamiliar with.
I'm not going to buy a $2000 guitar without sitting down and playing it for a while. Nor would I do that with a set of commentaries I'm unfamiliar with.
Good advice. I will check my library. I have no theological library near me, it is very unfortunate...well maybe it is a good thing b/c I would never leave [;)]
Some volumes are available with a limited preview at books.google.com.
Brown on John is not. Fitzmyer on 1 Corinthians is but not Romans.
With the 12 Days of Christmas and 25% Upgrade sales now wrapped up,
perhaps it's time for the 14 Days of Valentines sale
... AYB ? ....
[:D]
I would be delighted if Logos could make individual volumes of these commentaries available for puchase.
me too, but I imagine it would near $100 a volume . . .
With the 12 Days of Christmas and 25% Upgrade sales now wrapped up, perhaps it's time for the 14 Days of Valentines sale ... AYB ? ....
I second that motion [;)][Y][Y]
me too, but I imagine it would near $100 a volume . .
[:O] Ouchie!
Ouchie!
I'd be surprised to see them that high. Probably half of that since that is about the going rate for print volumes, maybe even less. The ICC individual volumes are priced about 85% of Amazon's prices for the hard cover editions.
What makes these so expensive? There are a number of these in my local used book store for $5-$10 each for the physical hardcover books.
used
There's your answer. Used there is no printing cost, trucking, stocking, author fees, publisher profit, etc. etc.
New about $45-50 each at amazon.
What I meant was. Why are they so expensive, are they really worth $1,899.95? I have some in my local used book store for around $10. I can't afford almost $2,000 for these but I can afford $70 for a few of them. Should I buy them?
are they really worth $1,899.95?
Should I buy them?
If you are asking if Logos is asking more than they should, probably not. If you are asking what is their value to the consumer at that price--that depends on the consumer. I don't have that kind of money. So I won't buy them. I have little experience with the OT versions and zero experience with the Apocrypha--but that would be nice to add to my library. What I am really interested in is some of the NT commentaries. The NT set would be on my radar, but not right now.
The value for you is your budget and your need. of course having this set digitally would be an advantage:
Everybody has their perspective, but I absolutely love the handful of NT volumes I have: RE Brown in John and John's Epistles, and Markus Barth in Ephesians. Both are fantastic. I used the Hebrews commentary but was a bit disappointed in that one (brief, not real profound, imho).
Thanks. I think I will buy the few they have at the bookstore and see if I think in the future they might be something I would need to buy in Logos format.
James,
Some of the AYB commentaries are wonderful, but it is a hit and miss thing. I would think your bookstore has some of the older less desired, or replaced volumes for that price, if not I would snap them up at that price. I would consult D. A. Carson's "New Testament Commentary Survey" for some good recomendations on the New Testament. One of my favorite authors in this series is Ftizmyer on Luke, Romans, Acts and 1 Corinthians. Here is the excerpt from Carson concerning Fitzmyer.
"Almost as good, but now more dated, is the commentary by Joseph A. Fitzmyer (AB; 2 vols., 1981 and 1985, $55.00 each). The work is a masterpiece of learning, and written with clarity and verve. Not all will be persuaded by the author’s positions on dating, sources, and details of historicity, but there are few questions Fitzmyer has not thought deeply about, and his competence in the Semitic parallels informs his work throughout. "
"Certainly it cannot compare with another Catholic contribution, that of Joseph A. Fitzmyer (AB; 1993, op/$50.00), whose exegesis is often magisterial. In many of the crucial passages this work sounds far more Reformed than Catholic. A weakness of the work is that it does not interact seriously with much of the new perspective: Fitzmyer simply ignores it. Some of his short excursuses are worth the price of the volume (e.g., on πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ in 3:21–26)."
"But perhaps the best general-use commentary on Philemon is the commentary by Joseph A. Fitzmyer (/AB 2000, $21.95)."
Thanks for the advice.
