In spare moments, of which there are increasingly few, I like to research Bible design and see how What He Said compares and contrasts with other books from the past and present that try to ease a reader’s access to the words of Christ.

I recently came across this article which provides a nice overview of Bible design from the times of illuminated manuscripts to what the author, Matthew Griffin, calls “postmodern power plays.” He ends the piece with some interesting thoughts on timeless design:

“A truly Christian design of the Bible is one of balance. It is excellent, beautiful, and well organized. It does not elevate utilitarian concerns to the exclusion of beauty. Nor does it elevate embellishment to the exclusion of meaning. Its aim is toward God’s truth, not personal rhetoric. It is not afraid of legitimate graphical diversity. And It respects the text as a unified work of literature.”

I really like his definition and believe that What He Said (even though it’s not the entire Bible) meets his criteria. It is certainly graphically diverse, but does not disrupt the text as a unified whole.

Tags: Bible design, Gutenberg, illuminated manuscripts, Matthew Griffin