Saint John’s Bible

Ignatian imaginative prayer and the illustrations found in the Saint John’s Bible can provide new perspectives on biblical stories, says Beth Samson of the Creighton Campus Ministry Office, allowing us to “more readily experience the sacred in our daily lives.”

Leonard Greenspoon, PhD, professor of theology and the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization at Creighton University, offers his commentary on the biblical crossing of the Jordan River, which he says is “beautifully and meaningfully” portrayed in a full-page illustration in the Saint John’s Bible.

Susan Naatz, senior director of Ignatian formation and ministry for faculty and staff at Creighton, says the Book of Ruth found in the Saint John’s Bible tells a powerful story about women. The beautiful illuminations connected with the story emphasize a message of strength and courage.

Molly Mattingly, director of music ministry at Creighton, says the creators of the Saint John’s Bible purposely incorporated an old bookmaking technique among its pages, wherein mistakes became an opportunity for creative expression.

Hannah Clark, a graduate intern with the Saint John’s Bible working on her master’s degree in poetry at Creighton, finds poetic form in the Beatitudes illumination that appears in the Bible.

Chase Becker, liturgy coordinator with Creighton Campus Ministry, says the Word of God is “living and effective,” in the words of St. Paul, and “we feel that especially when the Saint John’s Bible is present with us in worship.”

May 2018 graduate Lexie Kafka worked with the Saint John’s Bible as a student intern in the Rare Books Room. Kafka said she had an opportunity to share the Bible’s unique background and the stories behind the illuminations with a wide audience through events and personal showings.

The Saint John’s Bible will be on display during Holy Thursday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses at St. John’s Church. Creighton alumna Vivian Amu, a sacristan at St. John’s, says the display of the Bible helps mark special occasions, and serves as an invitation to participate. Watch her “Lighting the Word” video here.

Dulcinea Boesenberg, PhD, assistant professor of theology at Creighton, shares how Hebrew words are used throughout the Saint John’s Bible, which is currently on loan to the University, creating a sense of continuity. She discusses this use of Hebrew in the current installment of the “Lighting the Word” video series.

Gintaras Duda, PhD, professor and chair of physics at Creighton and a cosmologist and particle physicist by training, discusses how the Saint John’s Bible, currently on loan to the University, incorporates modern science in its stunning illustrations. “It’s a Bible of the 21st century,” Duda says, in this week’s installment of the “Lighting the Word” video series.

Through the generosity of our new Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Michael J. McCarthy, and his wife Nancy, Creighton is now the steward of the Heritage Edition of the Saint John’s Bible. The Heritage Edition is a unique, full-size reproduction of The Saint John’s Bible – a monumental work of sacred art commissioned by Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., in 1998. Completed in 2011, this beautiful, inspiring handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible was created by renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson and a team of scribes, artists, theologians, and scholars. Only 299 sets of the Heritage Edition were created, so we are deeply grateful that the McCarthys are sharing this wonderful work of art and Scripture with Creighton University and the wider community. A schedule for public display is being planned. We also hope to develop academic programming and events that will complement and enhance this unique opportunity to host the seven volumes that make up this Bible. Please stay tuned for updates, and please also envision how you might use and enjoy it in your own work. Thank you, again, to the McCarthys for making this possible. This is a treasured addition to our campus.