Hybrid In-person For Alumni For Clergy For Lay Leaders For Students General Audience

Duke University celebrates the reception of a Heritage Edition of The Saint John's Bible in a series of events at Duke University Chapel and Duke Divinity School. A once-in-a-millennium project, the Bible is a permanent gift to Duke University to be used in research, teaching, sacred worship, and community engagement. Duke is the first institution in the Southeast region to own a complete set of this extraordinary work of sacred text and art. 


 

Celebration Events

All events are free and open to the public. No registration is required. A livestream link is available for the evening service below. We hope you can join us for one or all of these momentous events.

11:45 a.m. in Goodson Chapel, Duke Divinity School, 407 Chapel Dr.

Dr. Ellen Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology, will offer a sermon inspired by several key texts and illuminations from the Bible. Several volumes will be on display during and after the service.

3:30 p.m. in Goodson Chapel, Duke Divinity School, 407 Chapel Dr.

Tim Ternes, director of The Saint John's Bible project, will discuss the Bible's creative process, team, and history and will also remark on the Bible's impact on a research community informed by tradition and innovation. The lecture will include guided imagery discussions on selected illuminations. Several volumes will be displayed before and after this educational and dynamic lecture. Community members, including middle and high school students, are encouraged to attend.

7:30 p.m. in Duke University Chapel, 401 Chapel Dr. 

Duke University will celebrate the reception of the permanent gift in a formal service including congregational singing, an official dedication, and a concluding reception on the Duke Chapel grounds. All seven volumes will be on view, and attendees will have the opportunity to engage the works up-close. The event is open to all members of the Durham and surrounding communities. Watch the service live.

The nearest available parking to Duke Divinity School and Duke University Chapel is the Bryan Center Parking Lot and Garage. Overflow options include include the Science Drive Lot and Science Drive Garage. ADA parking is available in the Bryan Center lot. Parking is available at an hourly rate, and there is no daily limit. Please leave ample time for parking as availability varies depending on time of day and demand. 

illumination of Life in Community

The Saint John's Bible and Project

The first handwritten Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in more than 500 years, The Saint John's Bible consists of seven hand-illuminated volumes created by Donald Jackson and a team of calligraphers, visual artists, monks, and scholars. The Heritage Edition is an exquisite, fine-art limited reproduction that enables communities around the world to encounter the spiritual and artistic beauty of the original.

"Receiving The Saint John's Bible here at Duke is an incredible honor. It is not only an outstanding work of art but a truly remarkable educational and theological resource that will enrich the life of the entire University."