INSIDE FREEDOM TOWER Scriptorium, immersion classroom among special features in Rawlings School of Divinity’s new home BY MITZI BIBLE
As Liberty University’s newest and now unarguably tallest landmark, Freedom Tower, rose high above campus last semester, architects and university leaders were hard at work designing the unique spaces inside that will help divinity students stay grounded in their callings as ministers of the Gospel. Upon entering the base of the 17-story structure when it opens this fall, guests are sure to be drawn to the Rawlings Scriptorium, located just off the main lobby. (A scriptorium is traditionally a room where special manuscripts are read and stored.) The space will feature a number of rare books and Bibles provided to the university by the Rawlings Foundation. The collection includes a first edition 1539 Great Bible, the first English Bible authorized by King Henry VIII; a 1561 Tyndale New Testament; and a 1560 first edition Geneva Bible, the Bible brought to America by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620. It also includes a first edition 1537 Matthews Bible, a first edition 1568 Bishops Bible, two first edition 1611 King James Bibles, and two first editions of 1563 “Fox’s Book of Martyrs.” Interactive, multimedia screens will help students research particular
sections of the books. The space will also feature a life-size replica of the Gutenberg press, the first movable-type printing press. In the mid1400s, this invention made it possible for printed materials — including the Bible — to become available to the masses. The Gutenberg Bible was one of the first books ever printed. Though the scriptorium’s book collection has been valued at over $1 million, School of Divinity staff understand its true worth far outweighs any dollar amount. Students will have the opportunity to learn directly from early documents that stand as a testimony to the Christian faith — the faith they plan to spend their lives sharing with others. “We are praying that God will use this incredible facility to attract, educate, and equip a generation of students who
will help change the world for the cause of Christ,” said Dr. Ed Hindson, dean of the School of Divinity. Other features in the base of the building will be equally impressive. A 150-seat auditorium is planned, as well as an “immersion” classroom, where students can view 180-degree multimedia presentations, allowing them, for example, to take a virtual tour of the Holy Land. Consistent with other architecture on campus, large amounts of glass will give the facility a transparent feel, allowing for plenty of natural light inside. Peering in from the Academic Lawn, guests will have an unobstructed view through the glass exterior walls on through the lobby on the first level and the dean’s suite on the second. A glass elevator will carry visitors up and down the tower’s 17 floors.
An artist’s rendering shows a replica of a Gutenberg printing press in the Rawlings Scriptorium.
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