The Saint John’s Bible with John Ross

What were you doing around the turn of the millennium?  Anything memorable?  Anything to be proud of? 

Well, if you were a monk from Minnesota, a world class calligrapher or an artist you may have been working on the first hand-written, hand-illuminated Bible in 500 years, that is, The Saint John’s Bible.

John Ross joined David Capes on The Stone Chapel Podcasts to talk about its history, creation, and mission.  It’s a fascinating story.

To hear the podcast click here.

Who Is John Ross? 

John Ross is executive director of the Heritage Program of the Saint John’s Bible.  For three decades he served as pastor to churches in the United Church of Christ (historic Congregational churches) in Ohio and Minnesota.  

John’s church in Minnesota was gifted a Heritage copy of the Saint John’s Bible.  He saw first hand how he as a church leader could use it to bring his congregants back to Scripture.

The Saint John’s Bible

The Saint John’s Bible is a transatlantic effort.  It involves scholars, calligraphers, artists, and tons of imagination.  It is the brainchild of Don Jackson, the scribe to the House of Lords and the Queen’s Crown office.

In the 15^th century the printing press was invented.   Prior to that, books like the Bible were hand-written over months and years because the materials were so expensive and the work so hard. Books were chained to library shelves and desks because they were so valuable. 

After that, books were produced by the press.  Hand-written and hand-illuminated books became a thing of the past. 

The Saint John’s Bible is a thing of beauty.  You can view images of it on the website: https://saintjohnsbible.org.

More Resources

For information about viewing a copy of the Saint John’s Bible, click here.

If you’d like to own or donate a copy to your favorite church or institution, click here.