Customer Reviews

The Four Holy Gospels, ESV Bible (Slipcase)

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The artist Makoto Fujimura is quite a favorite of ours. We first featured him in It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God. Then he was interviewed (twice) in our book Objects of Grace: Conversations on Creativity and Faith. And just recently we did a small book, Soliloquies, showcasing his art alongside the paintings of Georges Rouault.

But enough about us.

This post is to let you know that Mako has recently partnered with Crossway to create a an illuminated harmony of the Gospels to celebrate the KJV's 400th anniversary. It is easy to imagine how lovely the book would be, based on the reproductions of his paintings in our Square Halo titles, but to see it in your hands is breath taking. It is like holding a new Book of Kells. It is a joy to page through and discover the decorated caps at the beginning of chapters, the marginalia gracefully littering the pages, and of course, the full paintings. My favorite of the larger works was the piece that begins the gospel according to John called "In the Beginning."

Mako's art is what I'd call semi-abstract because he often brings in visual elements that the viewer recognizes--like a tree, or a fish, or a flower, etc. This made it especially delightful to page through The Four Holy Gospels (Cloth over Board). The marginalia is a combination of representational and abstract paintings. The art draws you in, making you want to discover what aspect of the text Mako is bringing out visually. There were so many of these "incidental" pieces that captured my imagination, but I was especially pleased to see the last page, where Mako had painted a blood-stained tree reminiscent of the "Shalom" lithograph from Corridor Press that hangs in our home.

This amazing new book looks lovely displayed on a bookshelf, but it resists becoming merely a decoration. Seeing it makes you want to come up with reasons to take it down and read it (when my eldest daughter saw this book she commented on it by saying, "THAT'S what it should be like to read the Bible").

So I urge you, if you are able, get a copy of The Four Holy Gospels (Cloth over Board). When you read it your heart and your mind will be changed as the words of our Lord mingle with the beauty in the art. Soli Deo Gloria.

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This review originally appeared as a post on [...]

The Four Holy Gospels is a beautiful book. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous--subtle, evocative, draws you into the text. The pages are huge, the print size is clear and perfect for public reading, the paper is smooth, bright and feels wonderful to the touch. There is a wide ribbon marker and a lavish slipcase with another ribbon to slide the book out easily. I admire Fujimura's work and couldn't wait to get this book; I had such high hopes. Unfortunately, the first copy I received had multiple printing and binding flaws--damaged spine, random metallic rub marks on several pages, even a crumpled page. Amazon promptly sent a replacement. The second copy I got has a page that's creased in the middle. I can't decide whether I'll keep this copy or gamble again on a third one being perfect. This is the most expensive book I've ever purchased and I'm both bewildered, and saddened, by the flaws. In my heart I wish I could give this book a 5+.

March 11: I've updated my review because Mr. Fujimura and the publisher have bent over backwards to make sure I received a perfect copy of the book. They've gone way above and beyond the usual idea of customer service. I am amazed at their kindness and generosity, and I totally wouldn't hesitate to buy additional copies of The Four Holy Gospels for gifts.

Where are our twenty-first century illuminators? Who is that artist capable of wedding the triumphs and tragedies of our age with the Story older than time?

Makoto Fujimura is an avant garde artist living at Ground Zero in New York. He contends daily with Kairos-Chronos tension, employing ancient Nihonga painting techniques to speak with a thoroughly modern voice. His passionate, complex, exhilarating works captivate both mind and soul. He has, very possibly, created the illuminated masterwork of our time.

You know you possess a work of extraordinary loveliness when you slide the clothbound book out of its elegant slipcover. The frontispieces are glorious. Charis-Kairos focuses on the Tears of Christ "tears for the atrocities of the past century and for our present darkness." Each of the others is inspired by themes within the gospel. Read Mako's own introductions at [...]

Eighty-nine illuminated capitals begin the chapters. And each page contains gorgeous embellishments that illuminate the passage. As I read through The Four Holy Gospels, it is these that wreck me.

Some are representational and rather obvious: a fish, a serpent, a cluster of grapes. But most are subtle and leave space for you to bring your own creativity...your own story...to the page...

A splash of Nard as a woman pours herself out...

Brooding clouds...tinged with blood...over Gethsemane.

Intimations of water beside a storm tossed boat...or a baptism.

A sapphire sky flecked with gold, but with edges of a troubling gray, over Bethlehem.

Parables of the Kingdom laid against great swaths of gold.

The Passion, devastatingly conveyed with drops and smears of blood.

And finally, a tree of life...redeeming, restoring...making all things new.

If you have never encountered the story of Christ, you could find no better introduction than The Four Holy Gospels. Or if, like me, you cut your teeth on them, I assure you they are new here.

If you splurge on only one thing this year...if you treat yourself to one bit of beauty...it should be this book. There is no part of you that will not be nourished, cultivated, challenged, inspired.

There's so much to love about this copy of the Four Holy Gospels.

First, the Gospels themselves are beautiful as they describe the perfect life and teachings of Jesus Christ, culminating with his death and resurrection.

Second, the translation itself is excellent. The ESV is the modern equivalent of the KJV (and thus a fitting tribute to it on its anniversary): a highly accurate translation in the common language, with care taken over the wording. The writing is formal but easy to understand. (Basically, there are some "beholds" but fewer "perchances.")

Third, the art. This is obviously the major selling point, since you can easily get other ESV versions of the Gospels. Fujimura is known as an abstract artist, but some of the artwork in this version is representational. There's a lot of variety: delicate and bold, light and dark, etc. It's never simple, even if some of it looks simple at first glance.

Don't stop at a first-glance assessment! In all honesty, when I first opened these Gospels, I was underwhelmed. It's an expensive book, so I wanted to feel instantly vindicated in my purchase. I'd already seen some pictures online, but when I first saw the pages in person, they seemed emptier than I'd expected. The art was lovely... but was it worth it?

In a word, YES. This isn't a coffee-table book that you just flip through and set aside. You're supposed to actually read it. In the introductions, the excitement of the publisher and artist is palpable. Fujimura explains the materials he used to create his paintings, and it's amazing: gold, minerals, ink cured for a hundred years. By the time you turn to the Book of Matthew, you have a greater appreciation of the effort put into each detail. But most importantly, you just want to read and read.

This makes me glad. The Four Holy Gospels is beautiful, but it's also functional. You can take time to study the paintings, or you can allow them to support your reading (and they really do support it). The art doesn't grapple with the text for your attention (or my attention, at least--I'm not an art critic), but it rewards your attention once given.

Fourth, another aspect I like about this version is that there are no chapter or section headings. Verses and chapters are marked (with beautiful red and gold ink), but that's it. While headings can be helpful, they can also be distracting. As an example, reading the Sermon on the Mount without headings allows you to get a sense of the flow of the sermon itself, without inserted divisions.

Fifth, I should mention the size/quality/etc. This is a large book! It's best read spread out on a table or podium. It would be difficult (but possible) to read it on your lap. The cloth-over-board binding is nicely done and should resist rapid wear. The pages are thick and quite glossy. The type is a good size: at pt. 13, it doesn't get lost on the huge pages, but it also doesn't seem unwieldy or over-large.

As I said, this is an expensive book. However, it's also a book to read and treasure.

I purchased the Four Holy Gospels as a gift for my son-in-law. It is a stunningly beautiful work and I would recommend this to anyone who loves the Bible and art.

I bought this as a present for my husband. He loved it! It is great to see an artist use his talents to present God's word in such a beautiful way. Also, after watching Mako's testimony, we really wanted to support his work. Totally worth buying!

The artwork is beautiful! It arrived promptly and in perfect condition. My wife was delighted with her birthday gift and I reaped the good husband award for such a nice gift.