European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 1 2007 stars and stripes Page 29 religion Handwritten Bible revisits ancient tradition by Matt Sedensky the associated press Naples a the pages Are made of Calfskin the Ink is 500 years old the letters each perfectly inscribed with quills and yet for All the Antiquity the St Johns Bible embraces there Are decidedly mod Ern signs too images of terrorist targets Urban apartment buildings even cheering football fans this Bible is More than a massive sacred text being painstakingly Handwritten and illustrated at a master calligraphers studio at a converted shed in Wales the first Effort of its size in five centuries the text is a remarkable convergence of past and present that has created a timeless Art piece a Spiri Tual inspiration and an idealistic reflection of the universality of Faith including every thing from prehistoric Cave paintings to satellite images from space in a sense it seeks to be All things to All people this is the said Donald Jack son who is the Lead scribe on the project the voices of people in different cultures and religions voicing their yearning for closeness to portions of the massive seven volume Bible expected to Cost its sponsors about million when its done Are on display through next month at the Naples museum of Art visitors see not Only the remarkable calligraphy that seems too perfect to have come from the human hand but the artistic interpretations of passages they Are on pages nearly 2 feet High and 16 inches wide they vary widely from simple illustrations of butterflies to Oneo faking portray als such As that of the creation Story which is represented in a panel of seven Side beside strips depicting the initial chaos of the worlds birth the emergence of human life and the divine Day of rest Jackson did most of the illustrations or illuminations himself but five others Are helping with much of the lettering and nine guest artists have also contributed the images chosen to illustrate the text represent a remarkable variety in Luke the parable of the prodigal son includes the simple rectangular towers a Reader would identify As the obliterated world Trade Center to represent the need for forgiveness and to seek alternatives to re Venge the Story of Adam and eve features an african Man and woman whose likenesses were influenced by photographs of ethiopian tribes they Are surrounded by designs photos Courtesy of the Hill museum and manuscript Library at St Johns the illustrations Are among Many Beautiful pages in the illuminated St Johns Bible on exhibit through april 6 in Naples Fla calligrapher Donald Jackson and a handful of contributors Are behind the massive undertaking which is expected to Cost the sponsors about million when its done from left is a Page illustrating Jesus genealogy the sower and the seed Story and Adam and eve taken from objects As varied As peruvian Feather capes and Middle Eastern textiles in a depiction of the Pentecost there is a Gold column of fire but also simple Black outlines of spectators at a College football game if these words have any importance it int an importance that belongs in the Jackson said if there is any importance at All there going to always be important now in the past and in the fun the Bible also Aims at religious Unity in psalms for example one Large image is superimposed with digital voice prints elec tronic images of sounds they include not Only St Johns monks chants but a sacred song of native americans the sound of a jewish mens chorus Buddhist tantric har Monics the islamic Call to prayer taoist Temple music a popular hindu devotional and an Indian chant we wanted a sense of ecumenism and sort of All of humanity seeking god As an underlying characteristic even though its in a Bible that is specifically said the Rev Eric Hollas a Benedictine Monk at St Johns Abbey in Collegeville which commissioned the Bible the new revised Standard version trans lation is used because most major Christian denominations approve of it the undertaking is a historic one while other religious traditions have maintained a custom of hand penning their sacred texts it has fallen out of favor in christianity since the Middle Ages the St Johns Bible is considered the most ambitious undertaking of its kind in 500 years Christopher de Hamel a medieval manuscript scholar at Cam Bridge University in England said the project is so monumental that it defies Reli Gion the Bible is probably the most important text the most widely circulated text the most Central text in Western civilize de Hamel said whether its True or not True is irrelevant and to take that great Book which has been copied by hand for two thirds of its history and to recreate it by hand As it was in the Middle Ages is As thrilling As rebuilding the Parthenon using the same kind of Marble or the same kind of carving or building a new stonehenge by dragging giant stones across the Jackson who received a scholarship to Art school at the age of 13 and taught College himself at 20 had dreamed of creating a Handwritten Bible for decades before he began the project he pitched the idea to Hollas 12 years ago and three years later Hollas found himself signing a contract commissioning the project on behalf of the Cath Olic order we wanted to do something that in a sense would be a gift to the Hollas said aside from his responsibilities penning Royal documents for the House of lords 69yearold Jackson has refused other work since beginning the Bible the project was to be finished this year but has fallen be Hind schedule and Likely wont be Complete until fall 2009 Jackson raised a methodist said he has grown More spiritual As the project pro Gressed he first saw it As an artistic Chal Lenge now he feels More deeply about the books Content precisely How he said he Hopes others will react too it seems that the words have value when you go through the trouble to do it in this he said Colorado largest episcopal Parish votes to leave denomination by Colleen Slevin the associated press Denver Colorado largest episcopal congregation was left in turmoil after leaders voted to leave the denomination and the Bishop responded by dismissing the Parish leadership the controversy at Colorado Springs Grace episcopal Church and St Stephens Parish is the lat est in a tense dispute among episcopalians and their fellow anglicans worldwide Over How they should interpret what the Bible says about sexuality and other is sues the vestry of Grace Church and St Stephens Parish on Mon Day voted to Bolt from the nation Al Church and instead join a conservative anglican Church based in Nigeria the move came three months after its pastor was placed on suspension amid an investigation of Church finances Bishop Robert Oneill rejected the Church move dismissing the local leaders and saying the Colo Rado Springs Parish would re main part of the episcopal Church the fact is people May leave the episcopal Church but parishes Oneill said in a state ment the Church longtime Rector the Rev Donald Armstrong Iii who was suspended late last year said Oneill no longer has jurisdiction Over the Parish he Doest have an army the courts will not interfere in an internal Church dispute and the congregation is solidly behind Armstrong said Beckett Stokes a spokeswoman for the Colorado diocese said Church Law states that All Parish property and assets Are held in Trust for the diocese she declined to comment on armstrongs reaction the leaders of Grace and St Stephens voted to join the convocation of anglicans in North America a missionary diocese of the Church of Nigeria led by Arch Bishop Peter j Akinola Armstrong has led the congregation for 19 years the diocese said in a statement Jan 3 that he had been placed on 90day leave the previous week following a nine month review of the Church finances it did not release details of the allegations against him Parish leaders cited the handling of armstrongs suspension along with the denominations rejection of the historic As reasons for the vote senior Warden Jon Wroblewski said the Parish had fought for a re turn to orthodoxy within the de nomination but has lost Hope in re form its Clear that the episcopal Church no longer believes in the historic orthodox Christian Faith common to All believers its also Clear that purported episcopal values of inclusion do not apply to orthodox Wroblewski said in the statement several Virginia episcopal churches voted late last year to align with Akinola including prominent congregations in fair fax and Falls Church clergy in the breakaway churches were warned by episcopal leaders that they could be removed from the ministry the episcopal Church is the Wing of the 77 million Mem Ber anglican communion a Fellowship of churches that traces its roots to the Church of England anglicans have been debating for decades How they should inter pret scripture on salvation truth and sexuality those divisions reached the breaking Point in 2003 when episcopalians Conse crated the Church first openly Gay Bishop v Gene Robinson of new Hampshire