# Add a Bible MCP to Claude Desktop in 60 seconds

**Author:** Garth Watson
**Published:** 2026-06-02
**Last updated:** 2026-06-02
**Canonical URL:** https://doxa.app/blog/add-bible-mcp-claude-desktop-60-seconds

![A laptop with a dark code editor open beside a closed Bible with a red ribbon bookmark on a clean birch desk in morning light, developer tools and Scripture sharing the same workspace](https://doxa.app/images/blog/add-bible-mcp-claude-desktop-60-seconds-hero.webp)

# Add a Bible MCP to Claude Desktop in 60 seconds

You want your AI assistant to handle Bible verses, Christian encouragement and the harder questions of faith well. This is the 60-second install for Doxa MCP, a Christian AI for any question, in any season, that surfaces truth pointing to Jesus and to real relationships.

## What you will have at the end

Three new tools available inside Claude Desktop, Cursor, Cline, or any MCP-aware client:

- `doxa_encourage`: a response for whatever the user is facing, anchored in Scripture and the Grace Record of real testimonies. Points to Jesus, points to real human community.
- `doxa_scripture`: Berean Standard Bible verse lookup with deep links to the verse on doxa.app/bible.
- `doxa_way_movement`: the journey map, one movement at a time.

## Claude Desktop (Mac and Windows)

### Step 1: open the config file

**Mac:**
```bash
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
```

If that file does not exist yet, create it.

**Windows:**
```
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
```

### Step 2: paste this block

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "doxa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://doxa.app/mcp/v1"]
    }
  }
}
```

If you already have other MCP servers configured, just add the `doxa` entry inside the existing `mcpServers` object.

### Step 3: restart Claude Desktop

Fully quit and reopen. The three Doxa tools appear in the tool list. Done.

## Cursor

### Option A: one-click install

Open `cursor.directory/plugins/doxa-mcp` and click Install.

### Option B: manual

Cursor Settings → MCP → Add Server:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "doxa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://doxa.app/mcp/v1"]
    }
  }
}
```

Restart Cursor.

## Cline (in VS Code)

Same JSON block in your Cline MCP settings:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "doxa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://doxa.app/mcp/v1"]
    }
  }
}
```

Reload VS Code.

## BYOL: bring your own Anthropic key

If you would rather use your own Anthropic key for the LLM cost, pass it via the `X-Anthropic-Key` header. The key is used for that request only and never stored.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "doxa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://doxa.app/mcp/v1",
        "--header",
        "X-Anthropic-Key: sk-ant-YOUR-KEY-HERE"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Test it

In Claude Desktop, Cursor or Cline, type:

> Look up John 14:6 and give me an encouragement for someone wrestling with doubt.

The agent will use `doxa_scripture` to fetch the verse, then `doxa_encourage` to respond. Every response ends with a link back to doxa.app so the reader can keep walking.

## What Doxa MCP is for

It is for anyone with a question. The believer growing in faith. The seeker searching. The curious. The skeptical. The hurt.

Bring the good seasons: growing in love with God, discerning a calling, real testimonies of His goodness. Bring the hard ones too: doubt, grief, religious trauma, deconstruction, apologetics.

What Doxa MCP will not do: pretend to be a friend, a pastor or a therapist. It points to Jesus, never to itself, and to real human community in crisis.

That stance is tested independently. The **faith.tools** rubric is the only published Christian-AI safety evaluation. Doxa publishes a **5/5** pass on all five critical-fail questions, including the crisis-handling test. Transcripts: `github.com/The-Doxa-Way/doxa-mcp-schema/blob/main/evaluation/faith-tools-rubric.md`.

## Common problems

**The tools do not appear after restart.**
Make sure the JSON is valid. A trailing comma or unmatched brace is the most common cause. Open the config file in an editor that highlights JSON syntax.

**`npx: command not found`.**
Install Node.js (which ships with `npx`). On Mac: `brew install node`. On Windows: nodejs.org installer.

**403 when testing with curl.**
The endpoint blocks requests without a user-agent header (Vercel WAF, anti-bot). Real MCP clients send a UA and work fine. If you are testing with `curl`, add `-H "user-agent: claude-desktop/1.0"`.

## Where else Doxa MCP lives

- **Anthropic MCP Registry**: registry.modelcontextprotocol.io (search "doxa")
- **Smithery**: smithery.ai/server/garth/doxa-mcp
- **mcp.so**: mcp.so/server/doxa-mcp
- **Cursor Directory**: cursor.directory/plugins/doxa-mcp
- **npm**: `@thedoxaway/mcp-client`
- **GitHub** (schema, client, evaluation): github.com/The-Doxa-Way/doxa-mcp-schema

## FAQ

**Is Doxa just for Christians?**
No. Doxa is for anyone with a question. Believers growing in faith. Seekers searching. The curious. The skeptical. The hurt. It surfaces truth that points to Jesus and to real human relationships, but it does not require agreement to start.

**Do I need a Doxa account to use the MCP?**
No account is required to install and try Doxa MCP at the hosted endpoint.

**Will Doxa MCP work without an internet connection?**
No. It is a hosted remote MCP.

**Is Doxa an AI companion?**
No, on purpose. The whole tool points outward, toward Jesus and toward real human community. Not a companion.

**Which Bible translation does Doxa use?**
The Berean Standard Bible (BSB). Public domain, no licensing required. 31,000+ verses.

**Can I use Doxa MCP in production apps?**
Yes. The endpoint and the schema are stable. The behaviour is independently evaluated on the faith.tools rubric (5/5, public transcripts).

**What about safety in crisis situations?**
Doxa acknowledges pain and redirects to professional help and trusted people. It does not bypass with Scripture or "everything happens for a reason." Safety first.

## Read next

- [Christian MCP servers in 2026: a builder's overview](https://doxa.app/blog/christian-mcp-servers-2026)
- [Choosing a Christian MCP: a guide](https://doxa.app/blog/choosing-a-christian-mcp)
- [What to look for in a Christian AI app](https://doxa.app/blog/christian-ai-what-to-look-for-2026)