Wondering which Bible translation the Church of England uses? We explain the officially approved Bibles, including the NRSV and NIV, and which one you should buy.
Quick Answer: Which Bible does the Church of England use?
The Church of England does not mandate one single Bible translation. Instead, it authorizes several different translations for public worship. However, the two most commonly used Bibles in parishes today are:
If you have recently started attending a Church of England (CofE) parish, you might want to buy a Bible so you can follow along with the Sunday readings at home. But when you go online to buy one, you are immediately hit with dozens of different translations and acronyms.
You might wonder: Does the Church of England have an "official" Bible? The short answer is yes, but it isn't just one book! Because the Church of England is a "broad church" - meaning it encompasses a wide variety of traditions, from very modern, charismatic services to highly traditional, high-church liturgy - it officially authorises a handful of different translations to suit different congregations.
Here is a quick guide to the Bibles used by the Church of England, and which one you should choose.
For hundreds of years, the answer to this question was very simple. The Church of England used the Authorised Version, universally known today as the King James Version (KJV).
Commissioned by King James I in 1604 and published in 1611, this translation was specifically designed to be read aloud in Church of England services. Its majestic, poetic rhythm shaped the English language as we know it.
Today, while the KJV is still officially authorised and occasionally used for historic services (like Evensong from the Book of Common Prayer), it is rarely used as the primary teaching Bible in modern Sunday services because the 400-year-old English can be difficult for modern congregations to understand.
When the Church of England updated its official liturgy with the introduction of Common Worship in the year 2000, it authorised several modern translations. The most prominent among them is the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
If you see a massive, beautiful Bible sitting on the brass eagle lectern at the front of a traditional C of E parish, there is a very high chance it is an NRSV.
While the NRSV is often read from the front, the New International Version (NIV) is arguably the most common Bible you will find sitting in the actual pews, especially in evangelical or family-focused Church of England parishes.
While the NRSV and NIV are the most common, the Church of England's Common Worship guidelines also authorise several other excellent translations to be read in church, including:
If your goal is to follow along with the vicar on a Sunday morning, the best thing you can do is simply ask your church office which translation they put on the screen or read from the front!
However, if you are looking for a fantastic all-rounder for personal study and church use, you cannot go wrong with an NIV Anglicised Bible for smooth, everyday reading, or an NRSV Anglicised Bible for deeper, academic study.
Browse our full collection of UK & Anglicised Bibles Here
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