The GPC Bible

Apr 30

A detailed look at this fascinating new Bible from the Good Publishing Company.

It’s fitting that I learned about the GPC Bible from one of my followers on Instagram (thanks again, Christian). This massive, bright red Bible with a gold foil cover design created by legendary New York City artist Eric Haze is the first Bible from a new outfit called the Good Publishing Company, and it’s easily one of the most “Instagrammable” things I’ve ever seen.

Oh… and it costs three hundred bucks.

I was intrigued, to say the least, but the price made me hesitate. Their website explains that the GPC Bible was “designed with the highest craftsmanship and attention to detail” and uses materials that were “sustainably sourced from around the world,” but the Bible reviewer in me wanted to dig deeper and find out more, and it seemed the only way to do that was to order the thing.

While I debated on whether or not to buy a copy, the world started to take notice. Articles about the GPC Bible started popping up all over the place, and I knew I had to buy one when a writer from Religion News Service interviewed me for an article that got picked up by Christianity Today and the Washington Post.

When the Bible arrived at my home in Nashville a few days later, I recorded a fun unboxing video that caught the attention of the folks at the Good Publishing Company, which led to me chatting with several of the people on the team that brought this Bible to life. I got to ask all of my nerdy questions about materials and typesettings and production, and what I discovered is that the GPC Bible is so much more than just a trending topic.

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The GPC NIV Bible – Overview

The creative team behind the Good Publishing Company includes guys from the fashion world like Jon Buscemi and Tony Arcabascio, as well as ministry leaders like Pastor Chris Durso of Saints Church. In a post on the company’s website, they offered the following statement to describe who they are:

We are The Good Publishing Company, an impassioned community of believers, artists and designers whose purpose is to spread God’s Holy Word with the entire world. Rooted in humility with an ambitious mission, we set out to build a fresh, relevant brand around the best selling book in history – the Holy Bible. By engaging contemporary artists, thought leaders and designers, our desire is to provoke new conversations around faith and culture, both for the believer and the seeker. With heirloom quality craftsmanship, our very first art-inspired GPC NIV BIBLE is as stunning on the outside as its timeless words are on the inside. Wherever you are on your faith journey, The GPC gracefully invites you to help bridge the sacred and the secular as we seek a deeper relationship with God’s Holy Word.

Durso told me that they poured their heart and soul into the GPC Bible, and after speaking with several people who worked on the design, production, and marketing of this project, I can speak to just how passionate and enthusiastic the entire team is about what they’ve created.

NOTABLE FEATURES
• Hand lettering and frontispiece by Eric Haze
• Senzo Soft Touch cover
• Kurz gold foil accents
• Sewn binding (red thread)
• Two Italian grosgrain ribbons with hand lettering
• 50lb uncoated Rolland paper
• Custom packaging and cross-shaped slipcase
• 8” x 10” trim size
• 2.5” thick
• 8pt GT America type
• 10% of every sale is donated to Compassion

Packaging & Exterior

The GPC Bible was made in New York and managed by a production house called Vertical Group. I spoke with Steve Capellini about how they went about creating a Bible that was modern and unique while also maintaining some of the traditional elements we have all come to expect from a Bible. One of the things we talked about was the incredible packaging that the GPC Bible arrives in. Steve told me that they wanted to create a special moment for people when unboxing this Bible, but that they also had to make sure that it protected the Bible in transit so that it would arrive safely.

Mission accomplished.
I noted when unboxing my GPC Bible that it reminded me of the thoughtful design of Apple’s product packaging.

Once you get to the Bible itself, the most striking feature is its RED cover (Pantone 186 C), which is made from a soft-touch material called Senzo that has a matte finish with a soft, smooth texture. This red theme continues throughout the Bible, appearing on the hand-painted page edges, the vellum interior sheets, the Italian grosgrain ribbons (with custom lettering for both Old and New Testaments), the cross-shaped slip case that the GPC Bible comes wrapped in, and even the thread used for the sewn binding. This attention to detail is remarkable, and all of it is set off by the custom frontispiece on the cover, designed by Eric Haze and stamped in Kurz gold foil, which catches new light at every angle.

Interior

The text block of the GPC Bible measures 8” x 10”, and it comes in at a solid 2.5” thick thanks to 50 lb. uncoated paper from Rolland that is insanely opaque. One feature that I find particularly delightful is that the paper in the Old Testament is a creamy antique white, while the paper in the New Testament is bright white. It’s another example of something you’d rarely seen in a Bible, but that makes total sense in the GPC Bible.

The typesetting was created by a UK-based designer named Rory Snow, who has previous experience with 2K/Denmark. Rory and I spoke at length about the process of developing the typesetting of the GPC Bible, including his use of an 8pt GT America typeface for the main text and GT Sectra as an accent font. Rory is a Bible lover at heart, and he knows his Bible history (one of his inspirations for this project was the legendary Washburn College Bible), but like the entire GPC team, he embraced the challenge of creating something unique and different in the world of Bibles.

Worth the Money?

One of the biggest talking points about the GPC Bible is its $300 price tag, and I think it’s a fair question to ask if this Bible is worth it. My favorite part of watching my own unboxing video was seeing the dilemma on my face as I tried to sort through this very question in my mind. In those first few moments I spent with the GPC Bible, I was floored by how unique and bold it was, but I was also already comparing it to the most premium Bibles I own from publishers like Schuyler, R.L. Allan, and Cambridge.

If you’re new here, those three names are the “Big 3” in the world of premium Bibles, know for their use of incredibly high-quality materials and construction techniques. They’re beautiful, and yes, quite expensive. I own Bibles from all three of these publishers that cost well over $200, and I frequently see out-of-print editions listed on the resellers market (yes, there’s a whole world of premium Bible reselling just like there is for sneakers) for double or triple their original price.

The problem with comparing the GPC Bible to these other publishers is that this Bible is really nothing like the ones they make. I wouldn’t be surprised if the GPC team had never even heard of Schuyler or Allan, and they certainly didn’t create the GPC Bible to compete with the established Bible market. This is something totally different.

My “light bulb moment” arrived when Becca came home a few hours after I unboxed the GPC Bible. She's an artist and graphic designer who’s worked in the world of print publishing and the music industry, and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw the massive, red Bible sitting on our coffee table. She quickly started noting all of the intricate design details that I would later confirm in my interviews with the GPC team, and there was no dilemma for her at all about the price. For Becca, the GPC Bible was expertly designed and manufactured, but it was also a piece of art.

So… is it worth it?

After talking about it with my wife, interviewing the team that created it, and reframing my perspective from one of comparison to one of appreciating the creative vision and artistic spirit of this project, I absolutely think the GPC Bible is worth $300. It’s unlike any Bible I have ever seen before, and my prayer is that it does just what Pastor Chris Durso hoped it would do: find its way into places and spaces where the Bible may not already be found.

Right For You?

My goal with Bible Review Blog is to help you find a Bible that’s right for you.

I recognize that the GPC Bible is not for everyone. If a big, red Bible isn’t your thing, that’s quite all right.

But if you feel that little spark inside when you see these photos or watch these videos, then I definitely think it’s something worth considering. This is a Bible and a piece of modern art rolled into one, and in both ways it will be a catalyst for conversation for years to come.