The Oversized Edwards Bible
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Charlie and Adam Kent bring the John Edwards Bible into the West Wing, covered with a red cloth, intending to show it to the President in the Blue Room.
Bartlet arrives and questions whether the large, covered object is the Bible he requested, showing initial interest.
Adam reveals the extremely large John Edwards Bible, explaining its historical significance and languages, while Bartlet reacts with disbelief at its impractical size.
Bartlet humorously dismisses the oversized Bible, requesting a more practical alternative, the Washington Bible, and apologizes for misremembering Adam's name.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calmly professional with a slight undercurrent of hurry — focused on logistics rather than ceremony.
Charlie escorts Adam Kent and a group carrying a table with a red‑covered object into the West Wing, identifies the visitor to the President, offers to take the artifact to the Blue Room, and takes on responsibility for its care and logistics.
- • Deliver the artifact safely to a proper inspection location (Blue Room).
- • Facilitate the President's quick inspection without fuss.
- • Take charge of the visitor and keep the exchange efficient.
- • Procedural order should be maintained even during larger crises.
- • The President's time and needs must be respected and simplified through delegation.
Not present; emotionally neutral in-scene — referenced to emphasize ceremonial requirements.
The Chief Justice is invoked by Bartlet as part of a joke about who would need to handle the oversized Bible; he is not physically present but is referenced as an essential participant in the swearing-in ritual.
- • (Implied) Administer the oath as required by tradition.
- • Ensure the ceremony proceeds within established judicial-procedural norms.
- • Rituals of state require appropriate props and deference to tradition.
- • Ceremony involves multiple institutional actors and practical coordination.
Bemused and mildly exasperated — using humor to reassert control and normalize affairs amid larger pressures.
President Bartlet arrives, spots the delivery, misnames the visitor then corrects himself, inspects the unveiled Bible, makes a wry joke about its size and the logistical impossibility, and quickly redirects attention to a pragmatic requirement — that the First Lady must be able to hold the Bible — and asks for the Washington Bible instead.
- • Secure a workable ceremonial Bible for the swearing-in.
- • Prevent ceremonial excess from complicating the inauguration logistics.
- • Reestablish small domains of control to preserve a sense of normalcy.
- • Ceremonial objects must be functionally usable by the people who must handle them.
- • Small, practical decisions matter for the smooth running of public rituals and reflect on leadership competence.
Proud and slightly defensive — pleased to present the artifact but aware of its impracticality for ceremony.
Adam Kent, representing the Johnathon Edwards Historical Foundation, unveils the enormous pulpit folio, explains its provenance and physical features (illuminations, four languages), and answers Bartlet's incredulous comments with professional pride and curatorial authority.
- • Convey the historical significance and legitimacy of the Bible.
- • Ensure the artifact is handled respectfully and accepted for review.
- • Demonstrate the Foundation's reliability as lender/custodian.
- • Historical value and authenticity justify the artifact's bulk and ceremonial use.
- • The White House will appreciate provenance and scholarly detail over mere practicality.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The George Washington Bible is invoked by President Bartlet as the practical alternative to the too-large Edwards pulpit folio. It functions narratively as the desirable, usable prop Bartlet wants for the oath and as a contrast to ceremonial excess.
A red covering cloth drapes the enormous pulpit folio during transport and conceals the Bible's bulk until the dramatic reveal. It functions as protective wrapping and a theatrical device for the unveiling, signaling the transition from delivery to inspection.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Blue Room is mentioned as the intended location for a more thorough presidential inspection and display of the Bible; it functions as the formal parlor appropriate for ceremonial evaluation and decision-making.
The Northwest Lobby serves as the delivery and initial inspection point where the covered Bible is brought into the West Wing, the cloth is removed, and the President encounters the artifact. It's the connective, public entry space where logistics, visitors, and brief decisions intersect.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Johnathon Edwards Historical Foundation is the source and custodian of the oversized John Edwards Bible; it is represented onstage by Adam Kent delivering and explaining the artifact. The Foundation's presence introduces questions of provenance, curatorial care, and the interplay between cultural institutions and state ceremony.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Bartlet's focus on the ceremonial detail of placing his hand on the Bible parallels his later humorous dismissal of the impractical oversized Bible."
Key Dialogue
"ADAM: "And this, sir, is the John Edwards Bible.""
"ADAM: "It's a pulpit folio, obviously from a time when portability was not an issue and illuminations add pages as well as heft. Also, it's written in four languages.""
"BARTLET: "Charlie, that Bible's the size of a Volkswagon. Can we get the Washington Bible?""