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Key Features Volume I Volume II Volume III What People Are Saying Commentary Design FAQs Buy Now
Key Features Volume I Volume II Volume III What People Are Saying Commentary Design FAQs Buy Now

A Cathedral
in Print

Read the Bible like never before, wrapped in 2,000 years of insight, art, and tradition.

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A groundbreaking seven-volume series of the Holy Bible.

Dozens of selections of exquisite religious art.

Hundreds of pieces of commentary from Bishop Barron and others.

The Word on Fire Bible introduces readers to the strange colorful world of the Bible.

By surrounding the biblical text with commentary and explanations from Bishop Robert Barron, the Church Fathers, and many of the greatest saints, mystics, and scholars throughout Christian history, The Word on Fire Bible illuminates the biblical text in light of the great tradition.

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Four major features set The Word on Fire Bible apart from others on the market.

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 New Testament, leading readers to a life-changing encounter with him.

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It is intended for new readers of the Bible.

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.

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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.

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It showcases the way of beauty.

This Bible showcases what Pope Francis calls 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.

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2,000 Years
of Wisdom

Wrapped around the text of Scripture.

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Volume I

Volume I of The Word on Fire Bible features the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—and includes exquisite religious art and word studies to bring the original meaning and context of Scripture to light.

You'll also find an introduction to each book of the Gospels and extensive biblical commentary from Bishop Robert Barron, the Church Fathers, and many of the greatest saints, mystics, and scholars throughout Christian history.

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Volume II

Volume II of The Word on Fire Bible features the rest of the New Testament: Acts, Letters, and Revelation. It is almost 40% bigger than Volume I and includes even more beautiful art.

Around the text of Scripture, you'll find 120 commentaries from Bishop Robert Barron and over 275 commentaries from more than 50 saints, mystics, artists, and scholars throughout history, and 18 introductory essays from Word on Fire Fellows and writers.

It also includes a full page featuring The Pentecost (After Maíno), an original painting by artist Michael Stevens, which was commissioned specifically for The Word on Fire Bible (Volume II).

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Volume III

Volume III of The Word on Fire Bible features the first five books of the Old Testament, collectively known as the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Accompanying the text of Scripture, you’ll find over 90 commentaries from Bishop Robert Barron and over 230 commentaries from mystics, artists, and scholars throughout history. Volume III includes—for the first time in the series—commentaries from Dorothy Day, Ephrem the Syrian, Hildegard of Bingen, Bernard of Clairvaux, and more.

This volume also includes over 50 works of art with commentary, 9 word studies of the original Hebrew, and introductions written by noted scholars and authors Christopher Kaczor, Matthew Levering, Mary Healy, Michael Dauphinais, and Fr. Blake Britton.

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2020

Volume I

The Gospels

2022

Volume II

Acts, Letters, and Revelation

2023

Volume III

The Pentateuch

TBD

Volume IV

The Promised Land

TBD

Volume V

Exile and Return

TBD

Volume VI

The Wisdom Literature

TBD

Volume VII

The Prophets

Testimonials

Testimonials

See what people are saying about the Bible.

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See what people are saying about the Bible.

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Design

Design

See what went into the design of the Bible.

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Leather

The leather edition of The Word on Fire Bible features a top grain leather produced in Eppertshausen, Germany, along with the gold foil debossed design. The edges of the book block are finished with brilliant gold foil.

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Hardcover

The hardcover edition of The Word on Fire Bible is covered in a rich black cloth manufactured by Italian-based Manifattura Del Seveso. It is beautiful, naturally textured, ruggedly durable, and will resist fading over time. The artwork on the cover and spine is debossed in gold foil.

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Paperback

The paperback edition features a scuff-free matte lamination for longevity and the same gold foil-stamped design. This finish will resist fingerprinting and will increase durability.

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The Pentecost

Commissioned especially for The Word on Fire Bible (Volume II), Michael Stevens’ The Pentecost (After Maíno) presents the descent of the Holy Spirit as a dramatic collage of images drawn from across the tradition of art. Through a synthesis of stylistic influences ranging from baroque to contemporary, the piece presents the awe-inspiring descent of the Holy Spirit in all its bewildering suddenness and mystery.

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Printing and Binding

Printing and Binding

Printing and binding was done by L.E.G.O (Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto) in Vincenza, Italy. Founded as a small workshop over one hundred years ago, L.E.G.O has been a leading producer of high-quality books in Europe and has produced many of the premiere Bibles on the market today.

Paper

The Word on Fire Bible is printed on a superior quality acid-free Arctic Paper milled in Grycksbo, Sweden. Its matte-coated finish provides for perfect rendering of the vibrant, full-color art spreads, while still maintaining the look and feel of an heirloom book throughout.

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Smyth-Sewn Binding

All editions of the Word on Fire Bible are Smyth-sewn, which is the highest quality method of bookbinding available. A key benefit of Smyth-sewn books is their ability to lie flat when open.

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Vol III Cover Design

The Volume III cover features symbols and imagery depicting the six days of creation and the Sabbath as narrated in Genesis 1-2.

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Vol II Cover Design

The Volume II cover features the Lamb of God, a title given to Jesus by John the Baptist in John 1:29, standing with blood flowing into a chalice, a reference to Revelation 5:6.

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Vol I Cover Design

The Volume I cover features the four creatures traditionally associated with the four Gospels which come from Ezekiel 1: an eagle for John, a winged lion for Mark, an ox for Luke, and an angel for Matthew.

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Angelico Typeface

The Word on Fire Bible uses Angelico, a custom font drawn especially for this Bible. The font is named after Blessed Fra Angelico, a Dominican friar and Early Renaissance fresco painter.

Ready to immerse yourself in the great Biblical tradition?

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Frequently Asked Questions

General

First, its evangelical purpose. 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 Scriptures, leading readers to a life-changing encounter with him.

Second, its accessibility to new readers of the Bible. It doesn't presume any experience with the Bible, catering to those unfamiliar with its many events and characters, while still providing rich insights to even the most biblically literate.

Third, its illuminating commentary. The Word on Fire Bible brings in a chorus of voices from the great theological and spiritual tradition in order to sing the meaning of the Scriptures. The reader will hear from Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Henry Newman, Thérèse of Lisieux, John Paul II, and many other teachers in the way of the Spirit. And since it is a Word on Fire Bible, it also includes the voice of Bishop Robert Barron, one of the great Catholic preachers of our time. It presents the Scriptures “from the heart of the Church,” offering the most colorful range of commentators currently in print.

Fourth, its distinctive beauty. This Bible showcases what Pope Francis calls 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 nonstarter, 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.

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 I includes the four Gospels.
Volume II contains the rest of the New Testament.
Volume III contains the Pentateuch.
Future volumes will cover the rest of the Old Testament.

This first volume, which includes the four Gospels, debuted on June 15th, 2020. The second volume, which includes the rest of the New Testament, debuted on January 17th, 2022. The third volume, which contains the Pentateuch, debuted on May 30th, 2023. From there, we're planning four more Old Testament volumes, which will follow in the coming years.

The Word on Fire Bible is only available in English.

Yes! The Word on Fire Bible is available now.

To order from the Canadian Store, click HERE

To order from the European store, click HERE.

To order from the Australian store, click HERE.

To order from the UK store, click HERE.

Please decide which store would be a better shipping solution for you.

You can order now from our US store site HERE and ship abroad, but there may be a better option using the links above to likely save on shipping time and costs.

Design

The Word on Fire Bible is available in leather, hardcover, and paperback editions.

We're convinced The Word on Fire Bible is the highest-quality Catholic Bible ever produced for mass distribution.

The paper is not the traditionally thin Bible paper most readers are used to. It is thick and matte-coated, keeping the ink right at the surface of the page so that images appear vivid and sharp. This makes the art in the Bible appear gorgeous, vibrant, and amazingly clear. But it offers this clarity while retaining the natural look and feel of uncoated paper.

For the leather edition, the cover material is a natural tumbled full-bovine top grain leather. After tanning and tumbling (a process that softens the product) the leather was given a protective coating to protect against water and scratches. Unlike split-grain leather, a lower grade used by virtually all other Bibles, our top grain leather will not crack and fall apart over time.

The spine of the Bible includes raised hubs, which add a traditional touch. Features on the spine, cover artwork, and lettering have also been debossed into the leather surface and foil stamped in metallic gold.

In terms of binding, all versions of The Word on Fire Bible are Smyth-sewn, which is the highest quality method of bookbinding available. Rather than relying on glue to hold individual pages in place, Smyth-sewn books feature smaller booklets which are each printed individually, then stitched into the book block with thread. Smyth-sewing is the true mark of a book that is built to last, and is the standard for library and archival quality bookmaking where durability is paramount. Smyth-sewn books also lay flat on a surface when open, which was a desirable feature for our Bible.

Other features include a gold ribbon bookmark (leather and hardcover editions only); ornate metallic gold ink, which adorns select design elements throughout (pull quotes, headlines, chapter numbers); and HUV gloss coating over special artistic elements for added visual emphasis.

Each edition of The Word on Fire Bible features text in a 9pt font, which is larger than in most other Bibles, with significant line spacing to allow for an easier reading experience.

Commentary

Each volume of The Word on Fire Bible includes more than 300 selections of commentary from Bishop Robert Barron and dozens of saints, popes, mystics, artists, and theologians.

Unlike some study Bibles, which insert just a few standalone pages of commentary at select points throughout the text, the commentary in The Word on Fire Bible is woven in and around every passage of the Scriptures. Each page of this Bible was custom designed to emphasize beauty and illuminate the Scriptures.

The Word on Fire Bible includes commentary from a dazzling range of saints, mystics, artists, and scholars, including:

Church Fathers
St. Ambrose
Ambrosiaster
Andrew of Caesarea
Apringius of Beja
St. Athanasius
St. Augustine
St. Basil the Great
St. Bede
St. Benedict
St. Caesarius of Arles
St. John Cassian
St. John Chrysostom
St. Cyprian
St. Cyril of Alexandria
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Eusebius of Caesarea
St. Gregory of Nazianzus
St. Gregory of Nyssa
St. Gregory the Great
St. Hilary of Poitiers
St. Ignatius of Antioch
St. Irenaeus
St. Jerome
Marius Victorinus
St. Justin Martyr
St. Maximus the Confessor
Origen
Tertullian
St. Theophylact

Contemporary Authors
St. Alphonsus de Liguori
St. Bonaventure
Catechism of the Catholic Church
St. Catherine of Siena
Dante
Dietrich von Hildebrand
Flannery O'Connor
St. Francis de Sales
St. Francis of Assisi
Fulton Sheen
G.K. Chesterton
Hans Urs von Balthasar
Henri de Lubac
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Jean-Pierre de Caussade
St. John Henry Newman
St. John of Avila
St. John of the Cross
Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection
Pope Francis
Pope St. John Paul II
Pope St. Paul VI
René Girard
Second Vatican Council
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa of Kolkata
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
St. Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Merton
Wilfred Rowland Childe

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Testimonials

Enjoy a vast collection of others talking about how The Word on Fire Bible helped their faith.

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