Customer Reviews

Saint John's Bible: Gospels and Acts

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw the exhibit for the Saint John's Bible when it was on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It was literally breath-taking seeing the intricate detail and craftsmanship that went into this amazing and inspired project.

The work is not only crafted well, but is approached with extreme thoughtfulness and obvious reverence and love. The thematic devices woven through the illuminations tell the wonderful stories of the scriptures in picture and the weaving of imagery, symbology, typography and design embrace all periods of book arts, from traditional and calligraphy type faces to modern geometrical type design.

As a graphic designer, I appreciate the thought and planning that had to have taken place even before the illustrations and type were laid out. This is a very important work created with deep respect and love for the holy scriptures.

The Saint John's Bible is a one of a kind illuminated creation. As a calligrapher I am thrilled to look at the professional detail Donald Jackson and his crew have put forth into this project. Its remarkable illuminations are full of color and vigor.
True, the text may be somewhat 'small' for the page, but in fact it is proportionate to the actual Bible (a size which would be way too large to print). The gold illumination may not look like 'gold' at first glance, it resembles a bright yellow, but this is difficult to capture in a book.
All in all if you are interested in the art of calligraphy, this is a keeper. As an atheist the text does not captivate me, I am solely interested in the art. So if you are Christian/Catholic and love art, you can hit two birds with one stone and have double the pleasure!

Outstanding illuminations - very spiritual. A must for anyone who wants to read the Bible with a renewed spirit!!!

Never will I forget the morning when I was packing for a pilgrimage to British cathedrals and abbeys and had the TODAY show on the bedroom tv as I worked. There was Donald Jackson, and there was his extraordinary rendering of the convoluted genealogy which opens Matthew's Gospel. Yes, it's a gorgeous, amazing piece of art in its own right, and this from a priest who once held a Gutenberg Bible in her bare hands in Germany. What struck me far more deeply was the intelligence, the heart, the soul, and the depth of the insights which had come together to empower the kind of prophetic, spiritual rendering he produced. I was stunned!

Since then I've told dozens about Mr. Jackson and his workshop in Wales, and I've gotten on board with St. John's Abbey as both a financial contributor and a newsletter recipient. Originally I didn't dare hope that the mss. would be made available in book form for "us mere mortals" to own. This one would definitely be on my proverbial "the 10 books I'd want if I were marooned on an island" list.

Just got the book today. I was excited when I opened the package. The book was in pristine condition. Nice packaging and no nicks or scratches on the cover. But the real treasure is in the individual pages. The pages approximate the color of the original vellum used (creamy to beige). The colors are crisp and the primaries are the dominant ones: reds, greens, blues of different hues. The gold color could not capture the original gold foils. I saw some pages from SD Museum of Natural History. I was spellbound. HOWEVER THE GOLD COLOR OF THIS EDITION COULD BE MANIPULATED: TRY READING IT USING NATURAL LIGHT (COMING FROM THE SUN) AND ANGLE THE PAGES A LITTLE BIT OBLIQUELY AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT I MEAN. If you are not satisfied what this edition could offer, try getting the facsimile edition which looks like (from the measurements down to the gold foils) the real thing. But the asking price is $150,000 to cover up the expenses in making the original one. This edition is printed on alkaline paper and the individual pages are thick, made in China but the quality is excellent. I even went further of my perfectionist stint when I examined the print using x10 jeweller's loupe. The print is a little bit grainy which is no different from the best printed books of today. I was just hoping it was a Giclee print (much more expensive, though) which does not reflect on the book's price. As usual, the technique used in this printing is the time-honored color separation. The artworks used in the Gospels are superb and strikingly modern. Some, though, still mimick the Greek-Byzantine icons of the 5th to 17th centuries. I really like the full-page artworks especially the opening pages of each Gospels, Transfiguration, Good Samaritan-Prodigal Son and the page in the Acts depicting St. Paul. Calligraphy used in the majority of the text is somewhat monotonous but an art in itself. What striked me most is the attention to detail of the print. You can see some pages where the colors and ink bleed from the other side of the page (which you can see in the originals). Other peculiarity is the unintentional omission of the whole sentence/verse found in Mark chapter III between verse 20-21. The artist included the lost verse by using a figure of a bird picking it up and "inserting" the verse into the line. This makes this Bible more intersting and beautiful. There are other things I could say but this review would only spoil the surprise (spoiler alert!). Try experiencing the magnificence of this first release of the seven. I'm planning to buy the complete set for my collection in my personal library. P.S. The Book of Psalm received a very bad press and a lot of them (reviewers) were disappointed. But that would not deter me from buying the book.

First, this volume is fantastic - great color and the calligraphy is easy to read (something which is lacking in a lot of 'handwritten' works). There's been much good written about this volume already, so I won't rehash it all here.

However, I do have one (and only one) complaint about this volume. The binding is weak. I've looked at three different books and they all have the same poor binding.

Despite the binding, this book sill gets 5 stars from me. It's just too beautiful.

I've got the Gospels and Acts, and have also seen the originals done by Donald Jackson and team. The originals on vellum are amazing and measure about 2 1/2 x 3 feet for two open pages with a superb look of calligraphy and illumination drawing. The print copy is smaller (coffee table size) and definitely is not the feel and impression of the originals, but that would be impossible. The fonts are small, but no smaller than a small print bible.
I bought this because I really wanted one, and to support the project. I will read it as a devotion in the morning, or in a dim room candlelit to get a real feel of reading traditional writing. The fonts will force me to slow down and digest it and the illuminations will reinforce the thought. I'd like Genesis (or the Pentateuch) when it comes out, but doubt if all buy all the sections.

I found this presentation of this part of the Bible to be magnificent in it's use of calligraphy to add dignity to the message of the Gospels while the text is still easily readable and understandable. The Illuminations are classic and elegant. This carefully crafted work lets one feel the history of the Word roll over the reader, and one feels the faith and vision of the monks of the twelfth through fifteenth centuries shine through this presentation of scripture. The project by the Benedictine Order helps us understand the timelessness, the beauty, and real endurance of the Gospels. It is a valued addition to the religious library of our family. Thanks!

This is a wonderful first release of the work of Donald Jackson on this new bible. It is beautiful and everything that I expected and more. It is wonderous.

This is the first handwritten hand-illuminated Bible in 500 years. This first volume which includes all four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles is a beautiful trade page by page reproduction. I can't wait until all seven are completed.