RelSt 310 Topic for Spring 2001 (R.Kraft)

Biblical Language and Imagery in Modern American Culture

The English language, including contemporary discourse, is full of quotations
from and allusions to biblical passages and images. The aim of this course is
to raise consciousness by identification of such phenomena and discovery of
the biblical settings from which they derive. The class will explore some of
the ways in which such language and imagery has been passed along in the
everyday lives of religious communities, by examining local records
(from present or former religious groups in West Philadelphia) that might
reveal the extent to which recent generations have been exposed to biblical
themes (e.g. in sermon titles, hymns, special events and reports, architectural
features, etc.). Students will examine current and archival evidence and
present research reports on their findings. This will usually include direct
contact with at least one religious community in West Philadelphia, to examine
the use of biblical language/symbols there.

Various avenues will be used to foster student awareness, from the clues found
in the crossword puzzle world ("who killed Abel") to common idioms ("he pulled
that one out of the fire") and allusions ("don't be a doubting Thomas," "that
was a Solomonic judgment"). As an immediate stimulus, students will read the
popular book by Kenneth C. Davis, <t>Don't Know Much about the Bible: Everything
you Need to Know about the Good Book but Never Learned</> (William Morrow & Co
1998) during the first three weeks of the course.

The goal of the course is to describe and understand these aspects of our
American religious heritage, using all relevant approaches but especially
those dealing with written records, both modern (as in the archives of local
religious communities) and ancient (as with concordance work to discover
biblical connections).

In general, the aim is to expand our horizons in relation to a past that for
many contemporary young people is not well recognized or documented.

The appropriation of biblical language and images in sermons, hymns and even
newsletters helps to articulate and preserve the particular vision and
assumptions of these communities.

Through careful study of the texts from which this language originates and
the particular ways in which it is employed, students will be provided with
a unique vision into the life and self-understanding of these communities.
This language reflects the basic selfidentification of these communities,
or at least of their leaders.

Each student will have the opportunity to engage in an individual project,
interacting with the communities and further exploring their archival records.
Through the class, students will come to a clearer understanding of the lives
of these complex communities, and they will also be afforded an unusual
perspective on the relationship between written texts and the communities
that appropriate them.