| CODE | PLC2151 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Seminar - Scripture and the Media | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Pastoral Theology, Liturgy and Canon Law | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The Scriptures are a collection of texts, of vastly different genres, emerging from many oral traditions and cultures over hundreds of years. That they were eventually collated as the 鈥淏ible,鈥� and that the 鈥淏ible鈥� in itself continues to be translated in many languages and through different media up to this day, makes it the most important 鈥渕edia鈥� reality known to humankind. In this study unit, the Scriptures are explored as communication events: that is, as being the most distilled form of human wisdom (and therefore, 鈥渄ivinely inspired鈥�) and in this sense as being both the fruit and font of God鈥檚 wisdom communicated to humankind in 鈥渨ords鈥� that we can understand. From myths that the Scripture stories build upon; to Christian music and iconography through the centiries; to literature, movies and contemporary digital forms, God鈥檚 word continues to move hearts by being translated from one medium to another, from one culture to another, from one language to another. The study unit will explore the Scriptures in: - oral, written and liturgical forms, and therefore in their relation to 鈥渢he holy鈥�; - in music, iconography, the plastic arts, and therefore in their relation to culture; - in the 鈥渋nculturation鈥� of the Gospel, and therefore in the way how through media, the Good News continues to be communicated afresh in all cultures and times. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims to present the Scripture as word of God and human artifact, and therefore, through its many 鈥渕ediations鈥� and 鈥渢ranslations,鈥� both as the way God speaks to humankind in all times and cultures, and as the way how all peoples can recognize in the text a depository of wisdom that inspires. The study-unit will also aim to explore the relation between the universal human desire for transcendence and its ongoing expression in different rituals and art forms, as expressed through the different ways how the Bible, as main symbol and depository of the Christian worldview, is mediated. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - analyse how different media are languages, each one with their 鈥済rammar鈥� and 鈥渞hetoric鈥� through whuch human beings seek to express themselves; - present the relation behind the Christian notion of 鈥渋nspiration鈥� and 鈥渞evelation鈥� and the 鈥渇orm鈥� of the Bible as 鈥渢ext鈥�; - show how the Bible is in itself (1) a 鈥渓iterary classic鈥�; (2) a collection of languages and literary genres, each one with their grammar and rhetoric; (3) the inspiration behind many mediated forms of communicating afresh its same message; - study different examples of how the Scriptrures are presented through different media in different times and cultures. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - articulate the notion not just of translation from one language to another, but from 鈥渙ne medium to another鈥�; - practise the interpretation of Christian music and iconography inspired by the Scriptures; - explain how 鈥渨orship services鈥� and 鈥渓iturgical rites鈥� in various Christian traditions are not only the product of the culture, but also of the main media of that culture. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Carruthers, Mary. Ed. Rhetoric Beyond Words: Delight and Persuasion in the Arts of the Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press, 2010. - Florensky, Pavel. Beyond Vision: essays on the perception of art. Edited by Nicoletta Misler. Reaktion Books, 2002. - Grainger, Roger. The Drama of the Rite. Sussex Academic Press, 2009. - Grainger, Roger. Ritual and Theatre. Austin Macauley Publishers, 2014. - Hodgson, Robert and Paul A. Soukup. Eds. From one Medium to Another: Basic Issues for Communicating the Scriptures in New Media. American Bible Society, 1997. (MAIN TEXT) - Nayar, Sheila J. Cinematically Speaking: The Orality-Literacy Paradigm for Visual Narrative. Hampton Press, 2010. - Ong, Walter J. The Presence of the Word: Some Prolegomena for Cultural and Religious History. Yale University Press, 1967. - Viladesau, Richard. Theology and the Arts: Encountering God through Music, Art and Rhetoric. Paulist Press, 2000. (MAIN TEXT) Additional articles will be provided. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Seminar | ||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Nadia Delicata |
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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 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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