Since September of 2016, Saint Anselm’s Geisel Library has displayed one of seven volumes of the Saint John’s Bible “Heritage Edition”. To mark the end of its year at the college, the Chapel Art Center is presenting Celebrating a Year with the St. John’s Bible, a limited exhibition of the Gospel and Acts volume of the Heritage Edition, which will run from Sept. 5 to Sept. 23.

The Saint John’s Bible was a project commissioned to artistic director Donald Jackson in the 1990’s by the Benedictine Saint John’s University. Jackson, a master calligrapher and Chief scribe to Queen Elizabeth II, had a lifelong dream to revive the 15th century biblical manuscript tradition of the Benedictine monks by creating the first hand-illuminated bible in over 500 years. This Saint John’s Bible manuscript, a project begun in 1998 and completed in 2011, was created using original medieval techniques including the use of calfskin vellum pages, goose quills and handmade inks, gold, platinum, and silver.

At Saint John’s University in Minnesota, a committee of artists, historians, medievalists, and biblical scholars collaborated with Jackson to create the Saint John’s Bible as a work of both art and theology that would combine the ancient techniques of calligraphy and illumination, Benedictine spirituality, and the universal values of Christianity. Since this original manuscript reached its monumental completion in 2011, Saint John’s University has created the “Heritage Edition”, which is limited to 299 sets of seven books.

The “Heritage Edition” is a fine-art printed reproduction of the original Saint John’s Bible, and was created with the intention of bringing the artistic and spiritual beauty of the Saint John’s Bible out into the world in a more accessible way. The importance of the Saint John’s Bible goes beyond an authentic and traditional manuscript of the Bible; with its illustrations of biblical themes through a modern lens of theological and global issues, it aims to not only be an icon of tradition in Benedictine and Christian values, but also as a contemporary art piece that renews the relevance of the Word of God today.   

Assistant Curator Margaret Dimock of the Chapel Art Center notes that “while the Gospel and Acts volume on display in the Chapel Art Center is a copy of the hand-illuminated original, it is a remarkable work of craftsmanship and design in its own right, the result of months of careful selection of materials, printers, and a careful transfer of imagery.” The “Heritage Edition” is intended to provide a similar experience to the original Saint John’s Bible manuscript; the weight and feel of the pages are comparable to the vellum used in the original, gold and foil materials are used to highlight the illuminations, and each volume is hand-bound with calfskin leather and a silver clasp.

The Chapel Art Center will be highlighting the Gospel and Acts volume of the Saint John’s Bible “Heritage Edition”, which will be accompanied by a series of ten framed examples of pages from other volumes that include illuminations from Psalms, Prophets, and the Pentateuch. In addition to the volume’s display, visitors are invited to attend “An Afternoon with Saint John’s Bible” taking place from 1:00-4:00pm on Thursday, Sept. 21. This is an open house event in which the college’s archivist Keith Chevalier will present the bible and allow visitors to view the Gospel and Acts volume up close and turn its pages.

Celebrating A Year with the St. John’s Bible and its open house event are free and open to the public.