THEO8004 The Bible and Popular Culture GE

This topic is designed to explore the ways in which the Bible and culture come into dialogue and mutually interpret each other. Drawing on theories of culture and on biblical themes and motifs, a range of topics will be critically examined in order to evaluate the Bible as a source of critique and liberation, ethical teaching and a framework within which questions of life and death, good and evil are considered. Throughout the unit students will interpret a variety of cultural forms, including art, film, theatre, popular music, literature and other print and electronic media in order to explore how the Bible is understood and portrayed, and to evaluate the dialogue between contemporary culture and the Bible.

This topic aims to:

• Analyse a range of key biblical themes and their relevance for contemporary culture
• Identify and critique how biblical themes recur within different cultural forms
• Develop analytical skills in evaluating the intertextual dialogue between the bible and contemporary cultural expressions
• Explore how the bible and contemporary culture mutually complement and critique their respective world views

1. Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate the intertextual engagement between selected biblical texts and contemporary cultural texts
2. Demonstrate research skills of identifying, accessing, and analysing relevant primary and secondary sources related the relationship between popular culture and biblical texts, and their interpretation
3. Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate the way in which the Bible has been reinterpreted in popular cultures and discuss the reciprocal relationship between the two forms
4. Demonstrate the ability to communicate theoretical and theological skills and knowledge, both in writing and orally, as appropriate to a range of audiences