The Word on Fire Bible
This debut Bible from Bishop Robert Barron and Word on Fire Ministries is exceptional.
It was a few months ago that I first heard about the new Bible from Word on Fire, the nonprofit ministry led by Bishop Robert Barron. As I’ve mentioned before, the world of the New Revised Standard Version is significantly smaller than many other translations, so I was happy to hear that The Word on Fire Bible would be using the NRSV, and I became even more excited as I began to review the promotional page for this edition, which calls the Bible a “cathedral in print” and highlights the importance of beauty in the overall design concept.
I expected this Bible to be beautiful, but the truth is that it is far lovelier than I could have ever imagined.
It’s so lovely, in fact, that my wife (an award-winning graphic designer and painter who makes her Bible Review Blog debut in this week’s video review) has officially claimed The Word on Fire Bible as her own.
We’ll see about that.
The Word on Fire Bible – Overview
This first volume of The Word on Fire Bible contains the four Gospels. A second volume containing the rest of the New Testament is scheduled for release in mid-2021, with additional volumes of the Old Testament to follow. Word on Fire made an excellent decision to have their Bibles printed and bound by L.E.G.O. in Italy, one of my favorite printers of high-quality Bibles.
There are three editions: top grain leather, hardcover, and paperback (the photos in this review are of the leather edition).* Each edition features a striking gold foil cover design inspired by traditional Catholic iconography, and they all have Smyth-sewn bindings for durability. My hope is that in the future, Word on Fire will consider making an edge-lined goatskin edition as well, because this Bible is so beautiful that it deserves a premium edition of the utmost quality.
FEATURES
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Art gilding
• 6.5” x 9.25” trim size
• 1.35” thick
• 9pt type size
• Single column text
• Full color artwork
• Single ribbon marker
• 90,000 words of commentary
• Line Matching
*The leather and hardcover editions sold out almost immediately, but more are on the way.
The Way of Beauty
The lovely exterior aesthetics of The Word on Fire Bible draw you in, but what’s inside is even more impressive, and it quickly becomes apparent as you leaf through the pages that this is not your average Bible. Instead of the standard, thin Bible paper we’ve all become accustomed to, this volume features thick, matte-coated Arctic Paper milled in Grycksbo, Sweden. It feels fantastic, and it literally comes to life with rich colors that leap from the page and a lovely 9pt custom typeface called Angelico designed specifically for The Word on Fire Bible.
On of the most unique aspects of The Word on Fire Bible is the way it creates a dialogue between the scriptural text of the Gospels and various sources of commentary, including thoughts from Bishop Barron, early church fathers, recent scholars, and artists. With over 90,000 words of commentary, there is thought-provoking dialogue happening on almost every page, and it is clear that a great amount of effort was put into presenting this wealth of commentary in a way that is elegant and thoughtful and serves to enhance the text of the Gospels. The Bible also includes selections of art (with accompanying essays) that illuminate the scriptural text.
Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son is one of my favorite paintings, and here it’s used to illuminate the text of Luke 15:11-32.
The Gospels on Fire
I suppose the best compliment I can give to The Word on Fire Bible is that when I showed it to my wife, she immediately grabbed it from my hands, and I did not get it back until it was time to write this review. Becca is an extremely talented painter and an award-winning graphic designer, so when she thinks something is beautiful and well designed, I know it’s special.
While the text of the four Gospels is the main focus (as it should be), the presentation and accompanying commentary in Volume 1 of a The Word on Fire Bible create a completely new reading experience. Bishop Barron notes in an opening essay that beauty was one of his team’s guiding principals as they created this Bible, and that shows from start to finish. From the page layouts to the typefaces and the color schemes, The Word on Fire Bible is a stunningly beautiful volume that draws you in as you read, and the supplemental commentaries in various forms make this an edition that will help readers grasp the beauty of what God has done for us in and through Jesus.
This is just the first volume, and I cannot wait to see what Word on Fire has for us in the future.
BUYING THIS BIBLE*
• The Word on Fire Bible: Volume 1 – The Gospels is available in three formats (Leather, Hardcover, and Paperback) directly from Word on Fire.
*Pricing and Availability subject to change.
