In early May, students, faculty, and staff traveled to Collegeville, MN, to explore the St. John’s Bible and Abbey Church. The group happened to make the trek on the day of the 15th anniversary of the Bible’s completion and received a tour of the St. John’s Bible from the Bible’s curator, Tim Ternes. One of the monk’s at the Abbey led the Luther delegation on a tour of the original Abbey church as well as the current Abbey church.

Seminary archivist Caleb Rollins and professors Cody Sanders and Kathryn Schifferdecker organized and led the educational outing. For Schifferdecker, the trip was a reminder of the breadth and depth of the Christian communion. “We were welcomed with Benedictine hospitality and immersed in the fascinating world of producing an illuminated Bible for the 21st century. The illuminations in the St. John’s Bible—an English translation of the Bible handwritten on vellum using ancient techniques of ink and quill—are truly stunning and theologically rich,” she said.

Student Miranda Bergs ’29 M.Div. was impressed by the modern scribes and other artists who created the St. John’s Bible: “As an artist myself, I marveled over the dedication and commitment to quality with each page created and assembled by hand – it is not a process or medium we get exposed to today.” Bergs was also struck by the ecumenical, community vision of the St. John’s community in general. “Both the St. John’s Bible project and Abbey reflect the layered, intertwining natures of faith and scripture in the modern world, and these works also shift the focus outward to the beauty and richness we have in community,” she said.

Other students also shared their thoughts on this rich experience.

• Adedamola M. Adesiji ’27 M.A. (CYF). “Seeing the Saint John’s Bible in person was a profound experience. The blend of ancient calligraphy and modern imagery reminded me how the word of God continues to be reimagined and made new for every generation.”
• Chelsey Hinrichsen ‘ 28 M.Div. “The roots of our Christian heritage revealed in the Abbey Church left me with a profound sense of connection with our faith ancestors. The way the post-WWII Jewish architect married the history of Christianity and Judaism is a beautiful experiential example of how our eternal, living God continues to reach us throughout time.”
• Rory Rohloff ’27 M.Div. “Viewing those pages of the St. John’s Bible and understanding its long history was a profoundly moving experience, one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”