Comments on: He Kerned For Our Sins

Question: He Kerned For Our Sins

Lieber Frau — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:35:38 -0800

Who designed this Jesus-y font that I see all over Christian printed material and churches? What is its significance? Its history?

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:57:09 -0800

I think it just represents a certain era of design in Christian materials. There was a lot of that going around in the late 60s and early 70s, when the church was trying to embrace the youth culture movement of those times. I don't claim to actually know this, but it looks a lot like the kind of posters and church bulletin art from the Presbyterian church I went to as a kid.

By: wg

wg — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:15:11 -0800

I've got no history for you, but can confirm the association with the church and the Vietnam War era. My wife refers to it as "radical nun font" and counts it among her favorite typefaces.

By: Lieber Frau

Lieber Frau — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:18:14 -0800

Heh, heh. "Radical nun font". Your wife is a card.

By: rhizome

rhizome — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:29:31 -0800

The shape of the 'A' really pings my memory, but it's been maybe 15 years since I would have had a lead for you.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:14:39 -0800

The A and R especially feel somewhat Celtic to me, as if the symbology indicates a return to the community or traditions of the earlier church, in opposition to stuffy "high church" ritual and formality.

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:31:31 -0800

This font was everywhere in the Roman Catholic Church of my youth, on the altar banners and the missalettes and what not. I associate it with the publications of St. John's Abbey--maybe writing to someone there would help?

By: Lieber Frau

Lieber Frau — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:58:48 -0800

If it helps, this church is St. Helen's, a Roman Catholic church in the Ukrainian Village of Chicago. It is peopled by a mostly Eastern European clergy.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:34:34 -0800

My own personal observation...

This sort of typography started showing-up in religious ephemera back in the 60's and 70's. To me, it seemed to be an outgrowth of churches trying to appear relevant or "hip" to the emerging youth culture. The type somewhat loosely mimics hand-drawn, psychedelic typography of the time, though obviously not nearly as trippy. After awhile, it just sort of became the "official" typography of Jesus. I still see it in posters and wall-hangings at my wife's church.

This stuff went along with creation of (god help us) "guitar mass".

By: zamboni

zamboni — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:59:02 -0800

St. Helen's appears to have been designed and built in the early 60s, completed in 1964.

By: Haruspex

Haruspex — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:22:06 -0800

Seconding Thorzad. That sort of type also picks up styling from various uncials too, and you might be able to find an analogue in that family.

By: resurrexit

resurrexit — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:44:22 -0800

Thorzdad is right-on. It is no longer used except in the most lame, dying-out, religious communities' publications.

By: mimi

mimi — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:57:13 -0800

By "radical nun font" are you thinking of some of the awesome work of Sister Mary Corita Kent from Fort Dodge, Iowa?

By: Lieber Frau

Lieber Frau — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:59:37 -0800

AWESOME reference. Thank you Mimi. Thank you Thorzdad.

By: mimi

mimi — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:49:46 -0800

I've always loved that style--perhaps not being overexposed to it + its derivatives helps, but it's happy and YAY and warm to me. Do follow up if you find some relevant fonts! That's a neat photo you took.

By: sagwalla

sagwalla — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:36:59 -0800

They appear to have almost a litho carving edge to them. I wondered if they might be work of Ade Bethune, who did a lot of illustration for the Catholic Worker, including, I believe, the masthead, a small version of which can be seen via Google Images. From what I understand, the Bethune estate are pretty strict with reproductions of her work, which is probably why there aren't very many on the web.

By: ontic

ontic — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:27:35 -0800

If this font ever gets a name, I will be very disappointed if it isn't "Guitar Mass".