Illuminating the Word: The Making of The Saint John's Bible - Hardcover

Christopher Calderhead; Jerry Kelly

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0814690505 ISBN 13: 9780814690505

Publisher: The Saint John's Bible, 2005

Synopsis

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.

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About this title

About the Author

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. 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 Calligraphy, and author of One Hundred Miracles (2004), a collection of miracle paintings by the great masters.

From the Inside Flap

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 challenges such as the selection and preparation of more than 250 calf skins, as well as forming a team of calligraphers 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 monumental artwork. 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 challenge of creating new images for ancient stories. It chronicles the artistic techniques, the tools and materials and 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 challenges and triumphs.? . . . the appearance of the book is worthy of its magnificent subject matter.? Anglican Theological Review?The jacket is beautifully designed encasing a rich blue heavyweight buckram binding. The page designs are excellent and the rich coated paper stock provides a wonderful pallet for the type and four-color photographs that are found on every page.? The Catholic Press Association?An excellent record of the process itself. Anybody who wants to know what it is like to actually reproduce a handwritten Bible will surely want to read this book.? The American Benedictine Review?Calderhead takes you into the details in a way that you almost feel you are there. Sometimes we almost feel we are getting under Jackson?s feet, but it is worth his wrath to see what is going on.? The American Benedictine Review?This is truly visio divina, a visual meditation on the Word of God.? Prairie Messenger ?In the 10 chapters of his conversational accounting of the planning and ongoing progress of publishing The Saint John?s Bible, Calderhead takes his readers into the lives and skills of the monks, and of the scribal and artistic experts employed in the project.? Prairie Messenger?The calligraphy, gold gilding, and full-color illustrations ignite the religious imagination, inviting people to explore a living tradition of art and spirituality.? The Faith Connection??a fascinating account not only of the practicalities of the making of the Saint John?s Bible, but also of the vision and values of the communities of monks and artists that collaborated to produce the work in Collegeville and in Wales.? Catholic Library World?A delightful coffee-table book.? The Bible Today?How fortunate for the public that both Benedictine institutions also commissioned Christopher Calderhead to tell the story involved in The Making of the St. John?s Bible.? Prairie Messenger"The St. John's Bible is unquestionably art. And in the practice of Jackson and his team members, so is calligraphy." Journal Star Lincoln, Nebraska"Here, with proper care from the monks, the St. John's Bible could conceivably last two thousand years, long after most of today's printed books have turned to dust, leaving a legacy of Christianity in the 21st century and of the Benedictines who commissioned it."Today's Catholic

Edition details

• Publisher: The Saint John's Bible
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814690505
• ISBN 13: 9780814690505
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240