“That’s a Bible, and not a back issue of Kinfolk?” is not something we imagined saying today, but here we are, after having our curiosity piqued by enthused Amazon reviews of a yassified, TikTok-trending Bible study book. That’s right, Jezebels, aesthetes, and Jesus-lovers: Arguably the most iconic Western religious text/piece of high fantasy sci-fi fanfic is now trending in the same corners of TikTok where the #romanticizeyourlife and #thatgirlaesthetic hashtags reign supreme. Only, this time it has a new, TASCHEN-worthy design courtesy of the Christian company Alabaster:
Now that’s the kind of Bible we can picture on Dasha Nekrasova’s coffee table by a Feu de Bois candle. To be fair, Alabaster was around long before the Red Pill podcaster praised Catholicism as a “very aesthetic, literary religion.” The company was founded in 2016 by Brian Chung and Bryan Ye-Chung in the hopes of helping “all of humanity experience God as beautiful” by giving the Gospels a facelift for a new generation. In lieu of crusty, uninviting volumes that use cryptic and archaic language, they looked to create something that felt much more contemporary and applicable to everyday life. As one of the 200+ Amazon reviewers writes about the Bible, “[It] does something unique from others. It gives a minimalistic approach to different topics of study. It weaves important stories and examples. It gives room for self-application and reflection.” Another reviewer said, “I love how aesthetic it is for a coffee table or bookshelf.”
Of course, a handful of Amazon reviewers have given this version of the Good Book a bad review, and always for what one customer called “Very Liberal Views.” Do the naysayers have a problem with the Bible study book’s interest in helping folks “learn about lesser-known [female] Bible characters, including Hagar and Hannah?” All signs point to yes. But the happy customers who don’t hate women say that “the focus on women was quite refreshing,” and that the study book’s blend of beautiful photography and reflective textual prompts will help bring Christianity into a far more inclusive, accessible context for the next generation. As another reviewer explains, the book “urges us to ask questions on who we choose to value and bring to the center of our own narratives. Who is the last? The lost? The least? The lonely? The mistreated? Do we see these people?” Plus, it can hang out on your bookshelf without making your home look like a medieval monastery.
If all of this sounds intriguing to you, Alabaster is currently having a 25% off sitewide sale for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (just use the code BF25). Maybe you need a holiday gift for your girlfriend’s Christian mom, or perhaps you’re one of the many new Catho-curious, Midwestern-goth-pop Ethel Cain stans who wants to revisit their relationship with the Lord. Whatever the reason, so far all signs on the internet point to Alabaster’s tome as the “It Bible” of Jesus’ B-day SZN.
Buy one of Alabaster’s trés chic Bibles here.
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