The Saint John's Bible Curriculum
for Catholic and Christian Grade Schools

Introduction:

How can one describe the beauty of the written word of The Saint John’s Bible?  The wondrous formation of the letters on the pages of vellum and the shimmering illuminations glimmering on the page! The intricate details of the butterflies, the insects and the natural pictures are depicted as though the creatures are alive and have momentarily alighted to read the words.  The sheer wonder of the number of hours invested in this work and the thought of a team of artists, scribes and graphic designers working on this project, but more than working; these mere mortals are re-creating an amazing book—the Bible! And in the beginning of this 21st century we are witnesses to this historical and inspirational event!

The Saint John’s Bible was born out of a lifelong dream of one man, Donald Jackson, to hand-write the Word of God. In 1998, after many months of collaboration and prayer, St. John’s University and Abbey commissioned Jackson to create this hand-written bible. This Bible, The Saint John’s Bible, is a $4 million dollar, 8-year project for a bible for the 21st century.

St. John’s University is a Benedictine school in Collegeville, Minnesota. The Benedictine abbey, home to about 200 monks, is one of the largest abbeys in the world. The commissioning of this work is a monumental undertaking by the school.  However, this project fits in with the university’s long-standing commitment to Scripture and book arts.  The Hill Monastic Manuscript Library is housed on the campus and has one of the most extensive microfilm collections of rare and ancient books and manuscripts in the world.

The text of the Bible is written in English. It is expected to be over 1,000 pages in seven volumes.  An eighth book, the Book of Honor, will be the names of all the many people around the world who helped sponsor this Bible.  The actual work of the Bible is taking place in a Scriptorium in Monmouth, Wales.  This idyllic setting across the world from the university is a bevy of quiet activity:  a team of calligraphers and illuminators, a natural history illustrator, a graphic designer, as well as a project coordinator, and assistants.  Back at Saint John’s is the CIT, the Committee on Illumination and Text.  This committee is composed of theologians, medievalists, artists, biblical scholars and art historians to comment on each of the Bible’s 160 illuminations.  The CIT interacts with Donald Jackson and the Wales team to provide insight and clarity to the illuminations that will be a part of the Bible.

The Saint John’s Bible is not a re-creation of an ‘old’ book; rather it is a new creation of the Bible for the third millennium of Christianity, using the finest and most historically accurate tools and techniques available. The translation used is the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE). The NRSV is an ecumenical work of Christian scholars from major denominations.  The NRSV uses inclusive language and is accepted in Catholic and Protestant denominations. The Saint John’s Bible does include the Catholic deuterocanonical books.

The themes of this work will include the reality of a saving God, the goodness of creation and the bond of the covenant between God and humanity.  The 1500 year-old tradition of St. Benedict and his Rule are also included.  These include hospitality, transformation and justice for God’s people.  St. Benedict’s value of hospitality means that all guests should be received as if one is receiving Christ.  This hospitality is for the poor, the stranger, the seeker and the wanderer. Transformation speaks to the ongoing conversion of the heart to align one’s life with that of the life of Christ.  The Benedictine’s rule of justice for God’s people reminds us that all people are equally worthy before God.  This project for the third millennium of Christianity is to further remind the world of the glories of Christ’s redemption and the depth of God’s involvement in humanity.

In Gratitude

This curriculum is designed for use in elementary schools, with drop-in units that work in sequence or independently from each other.  Our hope is that you will find these lessons useful as a way to engage young students in an appreciation for the processes in which Donald Jackson and his Wales team are involved. This spiritual and artistic endeavor has resulted in the re-creation of the workshop tradition. Scribes, artists and theologians are collaborating to create a truly remarkable work in this 21st century. 

This curriculum was introduced at the meeting of Chief Administrators of Catholic Education (CACE) in Washington, DC, in October, 2002.

A special thanks goes to Jean Knutson and Target Corporation for their support in bringing Deb Skinner, a teacher and curriculum developer, and The Saint John's Bible together. 

We invite your comments and suggestions as we begin to share this project on line.  Please send your comments to cmarrin@csbsju.edu.

© Copyright 2003 Saint John's Bible