Bible and culture

This course explores the complex relationship between the Bible and culture. Far from considering the Bible as a simple ancient text, we will approach it as a rich universe that has nourished and continues to profoundly influence literature, art, politics and even our collective memory. Conversely, we will see how culture itself influences the interpretation of the Bible.
The aim is to provide critical tools for analysing how religious texts are received and reinterpreted in various contexts, from 'high culture' to popular culture.
The course will not take a chronological approach, but rather a thematic one, in order to explore the dynamics of this living relationship. We will examine several major questions:

• The Bible as a cultural ‘reservoir’: how the Bible functions as a source of images, stories, narrative structures (messianic salvation, for example) and emotions that permeate our culture, often implicitly.
• Freedom and fidelity: how much latitude does an artist or author have when dealing with the biblical text? We will examine the tension between fidelity to the letter and fidelity to the ‘spirit’ of the text, analysing examples ranging from provocative literalism to the most liberal reinterpretation.
• “Hot” and ‘cold’ periods: the Bible's presence in culture is not constant. Like an electrocardiogram, it experiences peaks of innovation and periods of lesser intensity.
• Contemporary issues: the course will address themes such as blasphemy in contemporary art, religious kitsch, and the presence of biblical references in political discourse.

Several in-depth case studies will be considered.