Women in Scripture and in the Arts

3 credits

This course explores women in Scripture and their reception in the visual and performing arts. No prior background in biblical studies is assumed. Students will develop skills in close reading of biblical texts within their historical, literary, and theological contexts while examining how artists and storytellers have interpreted biblical women across different periods and cultures. Using interdisciplinary approaches, the course considers how artistic representations illuminate, expand, and challenge biblical narratives while raising questions about gender, authority, holiness, sexuality, suffering, and human agency. The course treats storytelling as a form of performance. We will also pay particular attention to contemporary retellings of biblical women's stories and to their presence and notable absence in the Catholic Lectionary. Together, these explorations invite reflection on biblical interpretation, the history of reception, and the continuing significance of scriptural women for the life of the contemporary Church.