Week 1: Origin Points
We will explore the historical origins of the biblical narratives and the “breakdown” of the bible into myth, history, poetry, short stories, prophecy, and “good news.” We will consider the Torah’s four “voices,” authorial intentions, and the “shape” of the bible when the two covenants are taken as a whole.
Week 2: Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Literature
We will look at Caedmon’s hymn, and then consider translations of the bible by monks in Anglo-Saxon England, and, finally, consider the influence and presence of the bible in the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer.
Week 3: Painters
Our main focus will be on shifting perspectives on biblical themes as seen in the transformations of Western art traditions during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Among the artists we will consider are Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.
Week 4: The Choral Tradition
We will look at the traditions of chant and plainsong before considering the bible as an inspiration for and influence on Handel’s Messiah (1741) and Beethoven’s most important religious work, the Missa Solemnis (1824).
Week 5: Milton
We will take into our purview one of the great narrative poems of the English language, John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667/1674) and consider his idea of changing the story of the Creation, Satan’s rebellion, and The Fall of Man into an epic poem in blank verse.
Week 6: Opera
We will consider two operas whose libretti are based upon Old Testament stories: Richard Strauss’s Salome (1905), a dramatization of Oscar Wilde’s French-language play, and Samson et Dalila (1877) by Camille Saint-Saëns.
