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Why & How >
Reflections > Eric Hollas, OSB Eric Hollas, OSBA Voyage of Discovery and Rediscovery
In 1997, the Saint John's Board of Regents and the monastic community engaged in a spirited debate (yes, we monks do debate) about the wisdom and value of embarking on this six-year journey with Donald Jackson. In the end, both the board and the monastic community agreed, "Yes, we do want to commission Donald Jackson to create a Bible for the new millennium." Many people have asked us "Why would Saint John's pursue this project?" Why should we pursue this project? Seldom do people have the privilege to do something unique and uniquely beautiful in their lives. In The Saint John's Bible we have before us a voyage of discovery that in some ways is also a voyage of rediscovery. Medieval manuscripts are the most plentiful cultural legacy that we have from the middle ages in the West. We have perhaps a million surviving today, and yet we have never seen a single one of these treasures created. Scholars have speculated about the process and the challenges in creating a great manuscript, but The Bible Project will allow art and cultural historians the chance not only to pose questions but to answer some of them. And for that reason one English scholar is interested in chronicling this bold venture, and film makers in the U.S. and the U.K. have expressed interest in documenting this remarkable journey. It will be a story that has not been told in many centuries, and it may not be redocumented for generations to come. But it is our chance to explore a process that was once a core experience of human civilization. But this is more than an experiment in historical discovery because The Saint John's Bible will be a record of our own generation's theological reflection and artistic view of the Bible. Each generation brings its own experience to the Bible and its interpretation. And five hundred years from now people will be able to look on this artifact of the early twenty-first century and see a unique record of a time and a place and a people who saw the Bible and its reflection in their lives in a culturally distinct and fascinating way. It will be a record of religious and social significance that will far transcend our time. Finally, this Bible affirms Saint John's commitment to foster the arts in general and the book arts in particular. In the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library and in its great special collections, Saint John's has a century-long commitment to the study of the book as a record of human expression and accomplishment. But all book collections must continue to grow, and The Bible Project is our commitment to growth. We are committed to developing the full potential of our special collections, not only as a mirror of the past but as a chronicle of the present. This handwritten illuminated Bible will be a treasure in itself; it will also be testimony to our reverence for contemporary calligraphy and the book arts. It will be the cornerstone of our future collections and acquisitions. |
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Copyright © 2005 Saint John's University
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By
Eric Hollas, OSB