Undergraduate Course: The Bible in Literature (DIVI08003)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course offers an introduction to the biblical stories and themes which echo throughout literature in English. An exploration of the differences between quotation, allusion and echo, and the notion of reception criticism, will be followed by a thematic survey of key biblical narratives, and examples of their use in literary texts will be discussed. The influence of the King James Version will be assessed, and other translations considered. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
The course aims to enrich students' reading experience of texts in English by helping them to identify biblical themes in literary texts. In order to achieve this, the course offers an introduction to significant biblical themes and stories. The complexity and richness of the Bible, including the history of its composition and its own intertextual patterns, are explored. Biblical themes in poetry, drama and novels from a wide time perspective are considered, and their significance discussed. Theories about intertextuality are considered in relation to the Bible, and the history and influence of the King James Version of the biblical text is highlighted.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
The course will cover theoretical issues in the field, as well as offering an historical survey of selected biblical texts and their translations. Themes including creation and fall, exodus and exile, incarnation, the cross and the empty tomb, salvation and judgement will be covered, as will the role of characters such as women in the Bible. Literature from a wide time period will be read, and will include texts such as the poetry of Christina Rossetti, T.S. Eliot and Edwin Muir, novels by Charlotte Bronte and Margaret Atwood and drama by Arthur Miller.
Student Learning Experience Information:
The course will be delivered through a combination of lectures, online material, a schedule of reading tasks and a one-hour tutorial each week. Each student will be required to participate in online discussion forums related to their tutorial groups and to write both a coursework essay and a final essay. In this way, they will demonstrate their achievement of the intended learning outcomes.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Recognise and discuss the history and interpretation of key biblical themes and stories.
- Identify biblical themes and stories in selected literary texts and assess their significance.
- Demonstrate an understanding of theories of intertextuality as they relate to the Bible and literature.
- Critique secondary literature on the relationship between specific biblical and literary texts.
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Reading List
| An online resource list for the course is available here: https://eu01.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/leganto/readinglist/searchlists/31922252360002466 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Empathy and imaginative insight, with a tolerance of diverse positions
- Capacity for reflexive learning
- Writing skills, including clear expression and citing relevant evidence
- Ability to engage critically with the meaning of documents and recognise that meanings may be multiple |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Alison Jack
Tel: (0131 6)50 8944
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Rachel Dutton
Tel: (0131 6)50 7227
Email: |
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