The Saint John's Bible

The Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible is on display inside the chapel. This edition is one of 299 exact representations of the original 1,200-page masterpiece commissioned by the Benedictine community at Saint John’s Abbey in Minnesota – the first hand-calligraphed Bible produced by the Benedictines in more than 500 years.

Envisioned by the leading calligrapher in the world since 1970, Donald Jackson – the official scribe of the King of England, living in Wales – the project was proposed to the Saint John’s Abbey in 1995, celebrating its 150th anniversary. After several years of planning, the folios on parchment were produced between 2001 and 2011, and over the next two years, the 299 volumes of the Heritage Edition were completed by hand.

Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies Dr. Paul Anderson shepherded the procuring of all seven volumes, and completed the acquisition in January 2020. As one of only two academic institutions in Oregon owning all seven volumes of The Saint John’s Bible, this amazing resource at George Fox University allows us to “see the Word of God” as well as reading and hearing it. This Visio Divina will allow the life-changing truths of scripture to speak to present and future generations in spiritually formative and socially conscious ways, furthering our Christ-centered mission for decades and centuries to come.