Word and Image by
In Word and Image, Michael Patella explores the principles, intentions, and aims of The Saint John's Bible - the first handwritten and hand-illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine abbey since the invention of the printing press. Patella focuses not on how it was made but on how it can be read, viewed, and interpreted in a way that respects biblical inspiration and Christian tradition in our postmodern context. It is a book that is sure to appeal to academics, pastors, teachers, and educated laypersons. Patella considers this Bible in the context of the great Christian tradition of illuminated Bibles across the ages and also the fascinating ways The Saint John's Bible reflects third-millennium concerns. He seeks to rekindle interest in sacred art by allowing The Saint John's Bible to teach its readers and viewers how to work with text and image. As an accomplished Scripture scholar, a highly regarded teacher, a monk of Saint John's Abbey, and the chair of the Committee on Illumination and Text that provided the Vision to the artists who created it, Patella may be the only one who could write this book with such insight, expertise, and love. Michael Patella, OSB, SSD, is professor of New Testament at the School of Theology*Seminary of Saint John's University, Collegeville, where he also serves as seminary rector. His books include Angels and Demons: A Christian Primer of the Spiritual World (Liturgical Press, 2012), The Lord of the Cosmos: Mithras,Paul, and the Gospel of Mark (T&T Clark, 2006), and The Gospel according to Luke of the New Collegeville Bible Commentary Series(Liturgical Press, 2005). He has been a frequent contributor to The Bible Today and is a member of the Catholic Biblical Association. He served as chair of the Committee on Illumination and Text for The Saint John's Bible.
The Art of the Saint John's Bible by
From the time that pages of The Saint John's Bible began touring in major exhibitions nearly a decade ago, people have been moved, captivated, and inspired by this stunning work of modern sacred art. But they often have questions about the illuminations that are scattered throughout the Bible, especially as they first become familiar with it. Why was a certain Scripture passage chosen for illumination rather than another? What materials and source imagery are behind the illuminations? The Art of The Saint John's Bible provides answers to these important questions and many others. Initially published in a series of three volumes, each book has now been revised by the author and included together in this helpful single volume. SinceThe Saint John's Bible is now complete, Susan Sink makes connections between recurring images and motifs throughout the work and reflects on the images with a view to the whole. Her book promises to intensify and expand the experience of all who come in contact with The Saint John's Bible.
Illuminating the Word by
2006 Catholic Press Association Award Winner! In this companion volume to The Saint John's Bible,Christopher Calderhead takes us on a behind-the-scenes tour of this extraordinary project. Based on hundreds of hours of interviews, this book tells the story of the makers of the Bible and the community at Saint John's Abbey and University. The day-to-day struggles of such a monumental undertaking included chalenges such as the selection and preparation of more than 250 calf skins, as well as forming a team of caligraphers accustomed to working independently and communicating the concerns of the advisory council in Minnesota with the artists in Wales. Illuminating the Word: The Making of The Saint John's Bible explores a modern version of an age-old relationship between patron and sponsor, and the artistic director, scribes and artists producing this monumentalartwork. It describes lectio divina, the unique method the Benedictine monks use to read the Bible, in which the Holy Scriptures come alive through the power of imagination. It explores the chalenge of creating new images for ancient stories. It chronicles the artistic techniques, the tools and materials and the workshop practices Donald Jackson used to create his lifetime masterpiece. Illuminating the Word reveals the working process behind one of the greatest undertakings of our time and vividly brings to life its chalenges and triumphs. Christopher Calderhead is a visual artist and graphic designer who has exhibited his letter-based works in the United States and Great Britain. He graduated from Princeton with a bachelor's degree in Art History. His ealy interest in the English Arts and Crafts movement and formal pen lettering led him to the Roehampton Institute in London, where he studied caligraphy under Ann Camp. In 1988 he was elected to Fellowship in the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. In 1998 he obtained a Master of Divinity degree from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. Ordained the same year, he has served parishes in the Church of England and the Episcopal Church USA. He is editor of Alphabet, a journal of the lettering arts published by the Friends of Caligraphy. His series of short radio pieces, Looking for Spirituality at Tate Modern," was broadcast on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire in 2002. His book, One Hundred Mirales, a collection of mirale paintings by the great masters, was published in 2004. He lives and works in New York City. The Saint John's Bible and Illuminating the Word were commissioned by SaintJohn's Abbey and University as an expression of the Benedictine monks' daly focus on scripture and commitment to books, art and religious culture. "
The Illuminator and a Bible for the 21st Century (DVD)
The longtime scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Crown office used age-old calligraphic techniques to create a modern manuscript: egg yolks, gold, silver, and platinum in the illuminations; goose quills and hand-ground ink on carefully selected calf-skin vellum for the text. Experience for yourself the story of the most extensive scribal commission in the world since the end of the Middle Ages, a story that has not happened for along time and probably will never happen again. Copyright 2005. A 3BM TeleVision Production for BBC Wales and Saint John's University with support from Target Corporation.
