The Saint John’s Bible Exhibition at Pepperdine University: Q&A With Dr. Mark Roosa, Dean of Libraries
A new gallery, “The Art of The Saint John’s Bible,” is up at Pepperdine’s Payson Library. We sat down with Dr. Mark Roosa, Pepperdine’s Dean of Libraries, to talk through the new exhibition.
Malibu, California–A new exhibition, The Art of The Saint John’s Bible, is live and available for viewing at Pepperdine University’s Payson Library.
The University first acquired The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition in 2012 to celebrate the University’s 75th anniversary. Since then, the University has committed strongly to using and sharing The Saint John’s Bible, taking it on community trips to engage with local churches and Christian groups, bringing the Bible into literature, history, or philosophy classrooms to inspire further learning, and incorporating the work into religious services.
This new exhibition is just one of many ways that the University has shared the art of The Saint John’s Bible with the University community and beyond.
Here’s everything you need to know about the gallery, from Dr. Mark Roosa, Dean of Libraries at Pepperdine.
Q: What inspired you to create this exhibition?
Roosa: For years, our university has enjoyed celebrating The Saint John’s Bible and its beautiful artwork and sharing the calligraphic and artistic beauty with our community. For the occasion of this year’s Thomas H. Olbricht Christian Scholars’ Conference, hosted by Pepperdine, we thought it would be a lovely idea to share the artwork and feature the individuals who lovingly created the works that accompany the text.
Q: Why did you choose this location for the gallery?
Roosa: The modest gallery inside of our main library, where we regularly host changing exhibits throughout each academic year, provided the perfect venue for creating an intimate, well-proportioned display of key works from the Bible. Inset into the exhibit proper, we feature a volume from the Heritage Edition, with page openings changed periodically.
Q: What does this gallery include?
Roosa: The exhibition includes a carefully selected set of high-resolution prints from the Bible, tastefully framed, with individual labels that list the work, the artist, and insight into the meaning of the illustration. Above the glass-encased volume from the Heritage Edition is an enlarged photograph of Donald Jackson standing alongside his team of artists and illustrators, who are named. A video element caps off the exhibit that shows some of the actual techniques used in the creation of the Bible.
Q: How do you hope people will engage with the space?
Roosa: We hope the exhibition ignites the spiritual imagination of people on all faith journeys, offering insight into the individuals behind the beautiful illustrations featured in the Bible. So far, the response to the exhibition has been overwhelmingly favorable.
Q: What are some ways that Pepperdine University uses the Heritage Edition outside of this exhibition?
Roosa: We have delighted in using the Heritage Edition in a variety of settings since first acquiring it some years ago. One special occasion is for the University’s Good Friday service, where Volume Six (Gospels & Acts) is opened to the first page of the Gospel of John for all those entering the service to reflect upon. Pepperdine faculty have also used the Heritage Edition along with other rare Bibles in our collection to teach students with primary materials the history of the Word of God.
Q: Is the gallery open to the public?
Roosa: Guests of the University looking to see the exhibition in person can consult our visitor policy on our website.
Click here to view the visitor policy and library hours, which coincide with gallery hours.
The Saint John’s Bible: Ignite the Spiritual Imagination
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