UNIT 1
Seminar on Biblical Literature: The Bible and Its Influence
Seminar on Biblical Literature: The Bible and Its Influence
UNIT DESCRIPTION
The Bible has been and still is one of the most influential books ever published. Its influence is seen in literature, art, music, culture, public policy, and public debate. The first English translations of the Bible helped to fashion the English language itself -- so much so that, had the Bible not been translated into English when it was, Shakespeare's plays might never have been written. In this seminar, you will tour some of the most influential sections of the Bible to see how it was written and when. You will learn about the different kinds of writing in the Bible (narratives, hero tales, epic, comedy, tragedy, poetry, parables, proverbs, epistles, visionary writings) and the various books that comprise the Bible. You will also see the influence of the Bible and how it can be a key to unlocking other subjects for you -- especially literature, art, music, and the social sciences.
The Bible has been and still is one of the most influential books ever published. Its influence is seen in literature, art, music, culture, public policy, and public debate. The first English translations of the Bible helped to fashion the English language itself -- so much so that, had the Bible not been translated into English when it was, Shakespeare's plays might never have been written. In this seminar, you will tour some of the most influential sections of the Bible to see how it was written and when. You will learn about the different kinds of writing in the Bible (narratives, hero tales, epic, comedy, tragedy, poetry, parables, proverbs, epistles, visionary writings) and the various books that comprise the Bible. You will also see the influence of the Bible and how it can be a key to unlocking other subjects for you -- especially literature, art, music, and the social sciences.
A CASE FOR STUDYING THE BIBLE
Enumerated below are six reasons -- though not necessarily mutually compatible ones -- for studying the Bible. I encourage you to pick the one that is the most relevant and useful reason for you. One of the culminating projects of this unit will require students to write a typed analytical essay on some topic germane to biblical literature. It is my hope that adopting one of the approaches listed below might inform or inspire the genesis of a paper topic from early on in the unit.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To really study the Bible -- to study all the stories, poems, prayers, and laws in it, to figure out what they mean and what they have meant to all the different audiences that have read them, and to trace how the Bible has been applied, adopted, and adapted through the centuries -- would be the work of several lifetimes. The goals for this course are much more modest and focused:
Enumerated below are six reasons -- though not necessarily mutually compatible ones -- for studying the Bible. I encourage you to pick the one that is the most relevant and useful reason for you. One of the culminating projects of this unit will require students to write a typed analytical essay on some topic germane to biblical literature. It is my hope that adopting one of the approaches listed below might inform or inspire the genesis of a paper topic from early on in the unit.
- The Bible is the revealed Word of God.
- The Bible is the tissue of primitive laws, superstitions, myths, and folktales that some people unaccountably still believe in, and I want to understand something about how such benighted minds work.
- The Bible is the book on which Judeo-Christian religion and morality are based, so I should know about it.
- The Bible is an anthology of a variety of literature and literary genres that are worthy of studying for their artistic and literary merits.
- The Bible is a book that knowledgable people seem to know about, so I should know about it too.
- I keep seeing the Bible quoted in the literature courses I take, so I should look into the source of all these allusions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To really study the Bible -- to study all the stories, poems, prayers, and laws in it, to figure out what they mean and what they have meant to all the different audiences that have read them, and to trace how the Bible has been applied, adopted, and adapted through the centuries -- would be the work of several lifetimes. The goals for this course are much more modest and focused:
- Investigate what recognizable human experiences (i.e., archetypes) are portrayed in biblical literature.
- See for yourself what some of the most famous and historically important parts of the Bible actually say.
- Acquire a general knowledge of what modern scholarship has been able to determine about the contexts in which various parts of the Bible were written.
- Exercise and increase your abilities to articulate your thoughts about what you've read.
A NOTE ON TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS
After careful consideration, three translations of the Bible were chosen for certain reading selections throughout this unit: the King James Version, the New Revised Standard Version, and the Jewish Publication Society's version of the Tanakh. Despite its archaic English, the King James Version (KJV) was chosen because its beautiful verses are so deeply woven into the language and literature of modern Western culture; it is also the most frequently quoted translation of the Bible. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) was chosen for its readability and for its broad interdenominational acceptance. The Jewish Publication Society's Tanakh (JPS) is chosen for the majesty of its prose and its poetry and to provide a point of reference and identification for the Jewish participants in the course. Each of these translations can be found at the BibleGateway website.
To illustrate how critical the matter of translation is when discussing Hebrew and Christian scriptures, consider the following renderings of Genesis 1:1-2 from each of the three versions of the Bible that we will be studying:
Jewish Publication Society
When God began to create heaven and earth -- the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water [...].
King James Version
In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
New Revised Standard Version
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
After careful consideration, three translations of the Bible were chosen for certain reading selections throughout this unit: the King James Version, the New Revised Standard Version, and the Jewish Publication Society's version of the Tanakh. Despite its archaic English, the King James Version (KJV) was chosen because its beautiful verses are so deeply woven into the language and literature of modern Western culture; it is also the most frequently quoted translation of the Bible. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) was chosen for its readability and for its broad interdenominational acceptance. The Jewish Publication Society's Tanakh (JPS) is chosen for the majesty of its prose and its poetry and to provide a point of reference and identification for the Jewish participants in the course. Each of these translations can be found at the BibleGateway website.
To illustrate how critical the matter of translation is when discussing Hebrew and Christian scriptures, consider the following renderings of Genesis 1:1-2 from each of the three versions of the Bible that we will be studying:
Jewish Publication Society
When God began to create heaven and earth -- the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water [...].
King James Version
In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
New Revised Standard Version
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
AGENDA
This unit is comprised of five learning modules focused on a specific book or books of the Bible. The title of each module provides a theme, followed by the specific biblical texts that will be addressed in each module bound within parentheses.
This unit is comprised of five learning modules focused on a specific book or books of the Bible. The title of each module provides a theme, followed by the specific biblical texts that will be addressed in each module bound within parentheses.
- MODULE 1: Origins (Genesis)
- MODULE 2: Exodus and the Land of Promise (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel)
- MODULE 3: Kingdom and Exile (1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel)
- MODULE 4: Writings and Wisdom (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job)
- MODULE 5: Another Covenant (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John)
INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
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