14621

SoSe 18: Anthropology and the Bible

Florentina Badalanova Geller

Additional information / Pre-requisites

The course will be taught in English; open to BA and MA students.

Comments

The course will offer anthropological analysis of Bible reception and interpretation in various cultures and traditions, from ancient and medieval sources to contemporary literature and art. Not only the canonical, but also apocryphal versions of the Scriptural text will be considered. Special attention will be paid to verbal and visual renditions of the Book of Genesis, with special emphasis on narratives about the Creation of the Universe and Mankind, about Adam and Eve and their offspring, the story of Fratricide (Cain and Abel), the Flood (Noah and his sons), the tower of Babel and the confusion of languages, the saga of Abraham’s progeny (including the offspring of Jacob and Joseph). Themes from the Exodus (e.g. the saga of Moses), the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles (e.g. lineage of David and Solomon, the Elijah epos, etc.) will be considered as well. New Testament themes will be concerned with renditions of Synoptic and apocryphal Gospels, the Deeds of the Apostles, and the Apocalypse. Archival recordings of vernacular oral songs and chants interpreting Biblical themes will also be part of the material presented. Special emphasis will be given to the ways in which “the vernacular Bible” shapes customary law, ritual practices and beliefs systems among various communities around the world. Iconography will also be included in the discussions, as well as modern visual arts, popular culture and mass media. All texts studied will be in English translation. close

13 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Tue, 14:00 - 16:00 13 Class schedule

Tue, 2018-04-17 14:00 - 16:00

Lecturers:
Prof. Florentina Badalanova Geller