The Orange Catholic Bible is the most interesting religious text I’ve never read.
It’s mentioned throughout the Dune series, quoted and referenced by everyone from Gurney Halleck (all the time) to Paul Muad’Dib (some of the time).
For this newsletter, I’ve gone through all the Dune books (the original six, the Dune Encyclopedia, and all 19 books of the expanded universe) to compile all the quotes and background information available.
A deleted scene from the 2021 Dune - Dr. Yueh gifting his OC Bible to Paul
Do you know anyone who likes to nerd out about Dune?
What is the Orange Catholic Bible?
At its core, the OC Bible is what happens when a bunch of scholars lock themselves in a room for seven years and try to create one unified holy book.
It’s like the ultimate religious compromise - which explains why it was immediately controversial enough to get eighteen of its creators lynched.
Created by the Commission of Ecumenical Translators (C.E.T.), the O.C. Bible pulled together elements from numerous ancient (in-universe) faiths: Maometh Saari, Mahayana Christianity, Zensunni Catholicism, and various Buddislamic traditions.
It wasn’t just a copy-paste job either; they extended, abridged, and completely reorganized the canon.
See if you can spot what quote comes from what tradition.
The finished product came with two companion texts: a Liturgical Manual for actual worship practices and the Commentaries - which contains some remarkably candid admissions about what the C.E.T. was really trying to accomplish.
🔒 In the full article:
Why it’s called “Orange” (and no, it’s not about the fruit)
The seven-year committee meeting that changed the Universe
Key teachings: main themes
The OCB’s evolution
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