HUM 322 - Community, Justice and Imagination: An Interdisciplinary Engagement with The Saint John’s Bible

The Saint John’s Bible is a spectacular achievement by a talented group of artists and calligraphers under the artistic direction of renowned calligrapher and artist, Donald Jackson of Wales. Commissioned by Saint John’s Abbey and University in Minnesota, Jackson and a team of 20 artists spent almost 15 years creating the first handwritten and illuminated manuscript to be commissioned by a Benedictine community in over 500 years. Completed in 2011, this Bible was designed to spark the spiritual imagination for the 21^stcentury and beyond.

Chapman University is the steward for one of the 7-volume sets of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition. This is a full-size, museum-quality lithographic reproduction of the original. Class sessions will take place in the Fish Interfaith Center, home of the Chapman Heritage Edition set, allowing for significant hands-on exploration of the volumes.

Students will explore The Saint John’s Bible from a number of vantage points: the arts, theology, history, science and social justice concerns.

Letter grade. (Offered interterm.) 3 credits