As detailed in an earlier blog post, Chapman University is currently hosting the Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible, and the Bible is on display in the Leatherby Libraries lobby. In concert with and in celebration of the Bible’s stay at Chapman University, a number of other displays have been created, and a number of events are planned as well.

Group of faculty and staff stand around an open case with illustrated bible inside.

L. to r.: Rachel Levinson-Emley, Dean Charlene Baldwin, Annie Tang, Professor Bill Cumiford, Rev. Nancy Brink, Kari Kempf, Cisa Payuyo, Essraa Nawar, Jennifer Ruby

The first of these exhibits is directly tied to The Saint John’s Bible, and displayed directly across from it on the first floor of the Leatherby Libraries. Across from the Reference Desk, next to the IS&T Service window, hang six gorgeous works of art. As explained in the earlier blog post about The Saint John’s Bible, each campus’ visit with the Bible involves one volume, while the Bible in its entirety is made up of seven volumes. While Volume 6, Gospels & Acts, is the volume we have sitting in our case, framed prints of a single page from each of the other volumes decorate the lobby space.

Two more exhibits focusing on bibles can be found upstairs, on the fourth floor of the Leatherby Libraries, both curated by Rand Boyd, Special Collections and Archives Librarian. The first of those, “21st Century Bibles: Printers, Artists and the Word of God,” resides in the display case in the hallway outside the Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives. This exhibit showcases modern print and artistic interpretations of Scripture. A highlight is a 12 foot long hand-written scroll of Acts on rice paper and The Gospels Set – Alabaster Bible; a project launched on Kickstarter that saw the intersection of faith, creativity and modern print methods. All of the materials in this exhibit are on loan from Art professor Rachelle Chuang.

Inside Special Collections is one more exhibit, one that takes us back across the centuries: “Bible Leaves: Typographical Praxis from 1121-1935.” This exhibit spansa nearly a millennium, displaying leaves, or pages, from famous or important Bibles from the Western tradition. Highlights are a leaf from the Suppressed Luther Bible from 1541; a leaf from the first Spanish Bible printed in 1589; a leaf from the King James version of 1611; the Eliot Indian Bible which was the first Scriptures printed in North America in 1685 and a leaf from the first Bible printed in the Confederate States of America in 1862. Complementing this historical exhibit are a display case containing our beautiful facsimile of the 42-Line Bible, otherwise known as the “Gutenberg Bible,” and a nice display of Arts and Crafts printing, “From the Roycrofters: Selections from the Roycroft Press and Workshop.”

In addition to these lovely displays, a number of events are planned surrounding The Saint John’s Bible, all of which are organized by the Office of Church Relations. Beginning next Thursday, February 14th, and continuing on Thursdays until May 9th, a Progressive Bible Study will meet from 12 to 1 PM in the Wilkinson Founders Chapel at the Fish Interfaith Center. All are welcome to attend these meetings, which will use The Saint John’s Bible as a source for discussion and contemplation, and pizza will be served.

On Thursday, February 28th at 7:00 PM, Tim Ternes, Director of The Saint John’s Bible at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN, will give a talk in the Wilkinson Founders Chapel titled, “FROM INSPIRATION TO ILLUMINATION: A Brief Introduction to The Saint John’s Bible.”

Saturday, March 9th, is Founders Day at the Wallace All Faiths Chapel, and this year’s Founders Day will focus on The Saint John’s Bible. Founder’s Day scholar Father Eric Hollas, OSB, will give a lecture titled, “The Artist as Preacher.”