| CODE | HBW5000 | ||||||
| TITLE | The Bible and Popular Culture | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Oriental Studies | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study unit purports to give a sound introduction to the Bible (with special reference to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) to students who are interested in comparative literature and in the process of the canonization of literature. The study unit will consist of a history of the formation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, its process of canonization, as well as the major approaches to reading the Bible both as a source of historical and cultural information and literature. There will be reference to case studies of how the reception of the Bible took place in various areas of popular culture, such as literature, cinema, art, sculpture, and music. These case studies will show the students how popular culture itself can turn out to be one way of 're-writing' the Bible. It will also be made clear that readers of the Bible will have to make a clear distinction between the meaning of texts and their significance. Study-unit Aims 1. To introduce students to the Bible: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. 2. To show students the long and difficult process of the canonization of scripture. 3. To teach students how to read the Bible also as literature. 4. To illustrate the impact of the Bible in popular culture. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Appreciate the formation processes of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. 2. Grasp various approaches that one can take to the Bible, whether they are literary or historical-critical. 3. Appreciate the Bible as literature and to understand various literary techniques employed by the 'authors' of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. 4. Understand the impact which the Bible has in many aspects of popular culture. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. evaluate the reliability of different literary sources on the basis of critical literary skills, such as: - historical criticism, - source criticism, - form criticism, - redaction criticism, - narrative criticism, - reader-response criticism, - and canonical criticism. 2. undertake a closer and more profitable reading of texts, even in daily life. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings - General Textbooks on the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament - Barton, J. 2010 'The Bible: the basics,' Taylor & Francis Ltd. - Coggins, R. 2001 'Introducing the Old Testament,' Oxford: Oxford University Press - Collins, J.J.2004 'Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,' Minneapolis: Fortress Press - Stanley, C.D. 2010 'The Hebrew Bible: a comparative approach,' Minneapolis: Fortress Press The Bible in Popular Culture - Culberston, P. and E. M. Wainwright (eds.) 2010 'The Bible in/and Popular Culture: a creative encounter,' Atlanta, GA: SBL - Shepherd, D. (ed.) 2008 'Images of the Word: Hollywood's Bible and Beyond,' Atlanta, GA: SBL These books are either already in the library or will soon be put on order. Also, lecturers will provide a more detailed bibliography in class. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Anthony J. Frendo Dennis Mizzi |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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