The Art Of The Saint John’s Bible

The Saint John’s Bible provides an opportunity for people to experience the Scriptures in a new, but at the same time ancient, way. Here are illuminations that bring the words of the Bible alive for a contemporary audience. Some of the world’s top calligraphers, working in a tradition all but replaced by the printing press centuries ago, invite us into a rich and varied creation. This second volume of The Art of The Saint John’s Bible: A Reader’s Guide takes up two great collections of biblical literature:Wisdom Books and Prophets.

The illuminations in Wisdom Books and Prophets draw on motifs from earlier illuminations and expand the visual vocabulary to strike at what is unique and important to these books. In Wisdom Books we find a number of well-known and beloved aphorisms, or “words of wisdom.” Here calligraphic text treatments take center stage. However, these books also portray the divine in the female figure of Wisdom, presented visually in several large-scale illuminations. The prophets’ messages are often dark and strange, reflecting the grief of exile but also hope. The illuminations throughout these pages reflect visions of man’s inhumanity, but they also burst with the rainbows of God’s promise and glory. Lavishing equal attention on the biblical passages and the artistic vision of The Saint John’s Bible, this guide is offered to enhance your experience and reflection.