Book Review: Westminster Reference Bible
By John Hooper
WESTMINSTER REFERENCE BIBLE Cambridge University Press, 2026; 1659+xxix pages, goatskin leather binding. Price: see details below.
It was in 2012 that the Trinitarian Bible Society first published the Westminster Reference Bible, an edition that has become well known and loved by many users of the Authorised Version, especially for its 200,000 cross-references and numerous other marginal helps. More recently the Society has published it in a large print edition, but what has been lacking until now is what is known as a “premium” or “high-end” edition.
Premium edition
This means one with a luxury leather cover, usually goatskin, and a binding process known as edge-lining, which sets it apart from all lesser bindings. Have you ever had a Bible that splits down the seam after just a few years of regular use? That does not happen with edge-lined Bibles. Not only do they have a leather cover but also a leather liner which extends underneath the endpapers of the Bible and is glued directly onto them. This is a highly skilled process that cannot be mechanised and results in a binding that is supple but robust and long outlasts standard bindings.
“Edge-lined Bibles are handmade in small quantities, and the work is carefully undertaken using the skill, experience and judgement of the bookbinder. The combination of this handcraft process and the individuality of the materials used means that each edge-lined Bible represents a unique piece of craftsmanship.” This quote is taken from information provided with Cambridge University Press’s (CUP’s) new premium edition of the Westminster Reference Bible, produced by special arrangement with the Trinitarian Bible Society. The Cambridge edition is a handsome volume indeed and handles beautifully, as one would expect of an edge-lined goatskin Bible. It is a worthy binding for the Word of God.
Cambridge University Pess
Cambridge University Press is the oldest publisher in the world, and printed its first Bible, an edition of the Geneva Bible, in 1591. Its experience and expertise in producing premium Bibles are on full display in its edition of the Westminster, and it is encouraging that CUP has the confidence to make this investment. According to the CUP website, “the KJV Westminster Reference Bible has built a strong reputation as a quality Bible and study tool. Respected for its accuracy and admired for its unique design and comfortable size, the edition has found great favour with readers of the King James Version.”
The CUP Westminster edition is available in black or dark blue semi-yapp goatskin and is sold in a sturdy and attractive protective case featuring a gilt outline of Westminster Abbey. My review copy is a dark muted blue with gold-on-blue gilt edging and three ribbons, each in a different shade of blue. The cover has perimeter stitching to give added strength, and five raised hubs on the spine. Inside the covers the only differences I can detect from the standard TBS Westminster edition are the absence of the three portions of Scripture preceding the title page, the addition of family record pages, and 15 Cambridge maps in place of the 8 TBS maps. In every other respect the contents are the same, printed and bound in the Netherlands by Jongbloed.
As with all premium Bibles, this one comes with a premium price-tag. Why would you spend £240 on a Bible? Because it may be the only Bible you will ever need to buy; or perhaps as an 18th or 21st birthday present; or for a young man just entering the ministry; or an anniversary gift from a church to its pastor. There is a danger that you might want to store it away and only bring it out for special occasions, but don’t. With its inbuilt durability, this is a Bible made to be used.
Reduced price for BLQ readers
Until the end of this year there is no need to spend £240 because CUP is very kindly offering readers of the Bible League Quarterly a 25% reduction, bringing the price down to £180.
To claim the reduction, you will need to go to the order form on the CUP website and enter the code KJVWESTMINSTER25BLQ in the offer code box. This will automatically adjust the price down.
- The offer is open to anyone reading this review, not just to BLQ subscribers.
- Oversees orders using the offer code will be accepted, but buyers will be charged the appropriate shipping costs.
- The offer applies to the purchase of one or more copies, and the code may be used more than once.
- The expiry date for the offer is 31st December 2026.