Art as Biblical Interpretation

Undergraduate / Graduate

Long before the Christian Bible was established as we know it, biblical figures and stories were being visually depicted and developed for Christian purposes. The Christian biblical imagination encompasses a rich tradition-spanning time periods (ancient and medieval, Renaissance, and beyond), regions, denominations, and artistic media-important not only for the field of art history, but also for the fields of biblical interpretation and the history of Western civilization and culture. In this course we will be studying art as a unique mode of biblical interpretation, with its own purposes, challenges, and strengths. How are texts "translated" into images? With what strategies do images represent abstract concepts, inner thoughts or experiences, or narrative time? What does God look like, and why? What are the possible functions of biblical images? We will cover topics including incarnation, iconoclasm, beauty, evangelization and education, the depiction of violence, book and material culture, liturgy and devotion, and typology, all while familiarizing ourselves with some of the most commonly depicted biblical figures and stories. No prior knowledge is required.