A Cathedral in Print
Read the Bible like never before, wrapped in 2,000 years of insight, art, and tradition.
Help us complete the story of salvation history in this unique and beautiful Bible series.
Thanks to our donors, we are now over halfway through this groundbreaking project to produce a Bible that will unlock the truth, beauty, and goodness of God’s Word for generations to come.
In seven volumes, The Word on Fire Bible sets 2,000 years of wisdom from Church Fathers, theologians, and scholars alongside the corresponding biblical text. Each volume also includes beautifully rendered artwork from the ancient masters along with analysis and word studies to reveal the original meaning of beloved Bible passages.
If you make a qualifying donation, you will receive a thank-you gift. This is not a retail purchase or pre-order purchase. All thank-you gifts will be fulfilled in early Summer 2025.
At this time, we are unable to substitute gift items that are not included in the set tiers.
Donations from Donor Advised Funds and IRAs are not eligible for donor gifts.
If you select the “Do not send gift” option: No thank-you gifts will be sent, including the Volume V Bible.
A token of appreciation
Support the Bible Project and receive the gifts below, including the opportunity to reserve a copy of Volume V: Exile and Return with a donation of $100 or more. All donor gifts will ship in early Summer 2025.
At this time, we are unable to substitute gift items that are not included in the set tiers. Donations from Donor Advised Funds and IRAs are not eligible for donor gifts.
Tier One
$100
1 hardcover Volume V
Tier Two
$150
1 leather Volume V
Tier Three
$300
1 leather Volume V, Word on Fire Prayer Journal
Tier Four
$500
1 leather Volume V,
A paperback copy of Volume I the Gospels
Tier Five
$1,000
1 leather Volume V,
Word on Fire Prayer Journal, A paperback copy of Volume I the Gospels, Rosewood Pen w/Case & Stand
Tier Six
$2,500
Leather copies of Volume I-V,
Word on Fire Prayer Journal, Rosewood Pen w/Case & Stand
Tier SEVEN
$5,000
1 leather Volume V,
Word on Fire Prayer Journal,
Exclusive Word on Fire Rosewood Pen & Case,
Private online event with Bishop Barron
*Final styles of prayer journal and pen may differ from versions displayed here*
“Return to me and keep my commandments.”
The Word on Fire Bible
Volume V: Exile and Return
The Story Behind the Word on Fire Bible Project
Watch this video featuring Nic Fredrickson, Michael Stevens, and Rozann Lee of the Word on Fire design team discussing the origins of the Word on Fire Bible and how the Holy Spirit has guided this project from the beginning.
Build a cathedral in print.
With production costs rising, we are in even greater need of your generosity so we can complete this seven-volume set and offer an unprecedented experience of the Holy Bible.
Make your gift today, and you will secure your copy of the Word on Fire Bible Volume V: Exile And Return.
Current
$0
Goal
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First Look At Volume V
Volume V of the Word on Fire Bible features the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, and 1 and 2 Maccabees, surrounded by illuminating artwork and helpful commentary.
You’ll discover insights from Clement of Rome, Bede, Pope Paul VI, John Cassian, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Gregory the Great, Henri de Lubac, and many other teachers in the way of the Spirit.
Accompanying the text of Scripture, you’ll find 60 commentaries from Bishop Robert Barron and over 90 commentaries from mystics, artists, and scholars throughout history.
This volume also includes over 30 works of art with commentary, 10 word studies of the original Hebrew and Greek, and introductions written by Larry Chap, Tsh Oxenreider, Sally Read, Fr. Billy Swan, Marc Barnes, Leah Libresco Sargeant, Matthew Warner, and more.
A Word from Bishop Barron
The Word on Fire Bible is a groundbreaking series introducing readers to the strange, colorful world of the Bible. It was designed to appeal not just to Christians, but to nonbelievers, searchers, and those with far more questions than answers. When you open up the Word on Fire Bible, you will experience a feast for the imagination and the heart as well as for the mind and the soul.
When you attend a liturgy at a beautiful cathedral, you hear the Word of God proclaimed from the pulpit. However, the Word is clarified by the surrounding experience—the architecture, the art, the stained glass windows, the icons. You’ll have a similar encounter with God’s Word as you make your way through the Word on Fire Bible. Evangelical in its purpose, illuminating in its words, and distinct in its beauty, this is not a regular bible; it is a cathedral in print. It doesn’t simply present a collection of stories for Christians; it invites you, whatever your background, to enter into the story of Christ.
+Bishop Robert Barron
Dive more deeply into the Word of God . . .
Four major features set the Word on Fire Bible apart from all the others.
Its purpose is evangelical
This is not a study Bible. Its goal is not merely to transmit historical knowledge or textual insight. It is also not a devotional Bible, offering self-improvement tips. The mission of this Bible is evangelical. It is meant to introduce not mere facts but a person: Jesus Christ. It aims to do that by unveiling Christ throughout each chapter and verse of the Gospels, leading readers to a life-changing encounter with him.
It is intended for new readers
The Word on Fire Bible doesn’t presume any experience reading the Bible. It’s designed for people reading the Bible seriously for the first time, who may be unsure of what to make of its many events and characters.
It highlights the great tradition
Most Bible resources include commentary from one or a small handful of authors, typically contemporary scholars. This Bible plumbs the depths of the entire tradition of Catholic Christianity, including contributions from many of its greatest saints and scholars from the past two thousand years. The Word on Fire Bible reads the Scriptures “from the heart of the Church,”; offering the most colorful and diverse range of commentators currently in print.
It showcases the way of beauty
This Bible showcases the via pulchritudinis (the way of beauty). For many people in our postmodern culture—especially the young—an appeal to the true (“Here is what you should believe”) or to the good (“Here is how you ought to behave”) is often a non-starter, likely to awaken suspicion and defensiveness. But an appeal to the beautiful (“Just look at this”) is more winsome, less menacing. And so this Bible features many striking works of art as well as literary explanations of those pieces—all designed to introduce the seeker to Christ through the aesthetic splendor that he has inspired.
More Features
You’ll also find commentary by more recent saints and spiritual masters. These include people like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis de Sales, G.K. Chesterton, Fulton Sheen, Flannery O’Connor, and each of the last three popes: St. John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.
Throughout the chapters, you’ll find commentary from the Church Fathers, the earliest Christian theologians. Because many of the Church Fathers lived during or shortly after the time of the Apostles, these commentaries represent some of the oldest Christian writings in existence aside from the New Testament itself.
This Bible also features a wealth of commentary by Bishop Robert Barron, one of the great preachers and biblical teachers of our time. You’ll find both short reflections on particular passages and longer articles spanning multiple pages.
Interwoven into the pages of this Bible are beautiful large quotations of key verses in the custom made Angelico font used for the Bible. These quotes help to bring some of the most important Bible verses to visual prominence.
Ready to immerse yourself in the great Biblical tradition?
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Yes, this is a donation. Please note that if you are a donor and contribute $100 or more, the fair market value of the donor gifts will be deducted from the total of your tax-deductible donation.
This is not a retail purchase. Funds from the Bible Project go toward the cost of producing the Word on Fire Bible.
Yes! With our new international warehouses, we are now able to fulfill the international Bible Project gifts. You will receive your gifts in early summer of 2025. Please ensure your email address and mailing address are correct for your shipment.
Word on Fire will cover all shipping-related expenses for the Volume V Bible Project donor gifts, so donors do not need to cover any shipping fees for their donation’s Volume V Bible thank-you gifts.
The donation gifts and tiers are not editable. However, feel free to donate more than once to get multiple copies. After you donate, simply visit wordonfire.org/bible-project again and complete a new donation for additional copies.
At this time, we cannot accommodate that request. You are welcome to ship your donor gifts to someone else after you receive them.
Yes, you can mail a check payable to “Word on Fire Catholic Ministries” with “Bible Project Volume V” in the memo line to PO Box 97330 Washington, D.C. 20090-7330. Please also include a note with your email address and mailing address.
Yes, but you will not be eligible to receive the donor gifts. Please share our EIN (29-1448551) with your IRA administrator or DAF sponsoring organization and direct your donation to
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries,
PO Box 97330, Washington, D.C. 20090-7330
with a memo indicating the donation is for “Bible Volume V.”
The Internal Revenue Code provides that should you receive, or be eligible to receive, goods quid pro quo or more than incidental or religious benefits in consideration for your contribution, 1) an IRA distribution becomes fully taxable, or 2) a tax will be imposed for a DAF grant’s prohibited benefits upon the donor, donor advisor, and the fund manager. You should, therefore, check the box marked “No Gifts” before submitting your donation.
Donation gifts will be shipped in early summer of 2025. Please ensure that you use the correct email address when completing your donation as this is where you will receive shipping and tracking updates on your Bible Project gifts.
If you qualified for a gift and need to change your shipping address, you can email us at [email protected] or call us at (866) 928-1237 ext. 3.
Yes, simply check the box for “anonymous gift” during the donation check-out process.
The deadline is February 28, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
We don’t have an official retail price set for Volume V at this time, but due to an increase in production costs, Volume V is expected to cost more than Volume IV. Rest assured, we want to keep Volume V as affordable as possible so that the Word of God can continue to be shared with others.
No, the Word on Fire Prayer Journal and the Pen are exclusive donor gifts, and therefore not available for sale at our bookstore.
You can make a one time donation for Volumes I to V above, or purchase Volumes I to IV in the bookstore.
No, the paperback copy is not available by donation. The paperback copy should be for sale in the bookstore after Volume V released.
Bible
Unfortunately no, we only have the Word on Fire Bible Volume V: Exile And Return available in English.
No, this is not a full bible. Volume V of the Word on Fire Bible includes the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 and 2 Maccabees.
The Word on Fire Bible uses the New Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE), which first appeared in 1989 and has received wide acclaim from academics and Church leaders.
The translation received the imprimatur of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1991, granting official approval for Catholic use in private study and devotional reading.
The NRSV-CE stands out among other translations because of its accuracy and readability. It is “as literal as possible” in adhering to the ancient texts and only “as free as necessary” to make the meaning clear in graceful, understandable English.
It’s a wonderful translation—both for those who have never read the Bible and for those who have studied it for years.
Volume V will be printed and released in Summer 2025. The creative process of compiling Volume VI of the Word on Fire Bible is already underway!
The Word on Fire Bible Volume V features text in a 9pt font, which is larger than in most other Bibles and offers significant line spacing to allow for an easier reading experience.
No, you cannot make a one-time donation to reserve past, present, and future copies. You can make a one time donation for Vol I-V above or purchase Vol I-IV in the bookstore.
Other ways to support the Word on Fire Bible Project
Donor Advised Funds
Recommend Word on Fire to your financial institution.
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
PO Box 97330
Washington, D.C. 20090-7330
Federal Tax Identification Number:
26-1448551
IRA Gifts
Consult with your financial advisor and consider making a charitable rollover gift to Word on Fire.
Your IRA administrator should mail the check to:
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
PO Box 97330
Washington, D.C. 20090-7330
Stocks
You can donate stock to Word on Fire by contacting our Development Department.
Please email [email protected] or call us at (866) 928-1237 ext. 3 to receive instructions for transferring stock.
Please provide the following information when you reach out: name, mailing address, email, phone number, number of shares, type of stock, and transfer date.
Mail Check
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
PO Box 97330
Washington, D.C. 20090-7330
Please include your mailing address and email address.
RoundUp
Sign up for RoundUp to round your credit card purchases up to the nearest dollar. At the end of the month, the proceeds will be donated to Word on Fire.
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Planned Giving
To include Word on Fire in your will, donate stock, set up a charitable remainder trust, or discuss planned giving options, please email us at
[email protected]
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