Potkay Adam. The Bible as the Root of Western Literature: Stories, Poems, and Parables. Course guide

Recorded Books, LLC, 2003. — 113 p. — ISBN 978-1-4025-3912-1.The goal of this course is to provide listeners with a literary and historical overview of the Bible, from its opening in Genesis to its ending in the Book of Revelation, and also with a sense of some of the ways in which the Bible has influenced the literary traditions of the West. They’ll be exploring key scenes, stories, forms, and books of the Bible through the methods of literary and cultural analysis. They’ll be asking questions such as: what, in literary terms, might a Biblical story mean? How does its form and style contribute to its meaning? How has the story been read by other readers, from influential theologians of the past (such as St. Augustine and John Calvin) to literary critics of our own day? Finally, in what ways has the story had an impact on the literature, as well as the larger cultural life, of Europe and America? They pay particular attention to the ways in which the Bible has influenced the canon of English and American literature, including Shakespeare, Charlotte Brontë, and Robert Frost.Course Syllabus:
Introduction/Course Objectives
Authorship and Style in the Torah
Cain and Abel in Story, Theology, and Literary History
Icons and Iconoclasm: From Moses to Milton
The Story of King David, or the Varieties of Love
The Song of Solomon: The Poetry of Sacred and Profane Love
Psalms: The Poetry of Praise and Supplication
Proverbs: The Way to Wisdom
The Book of Job: The Problem of Evil and the Aesthetics of the Sublime
Ecclesiastes and the Questioning of Wisdom
Isaiah and Prophecy
Typology: The Life of Christ as Fulfillment of the Old Testament
Parables: The Form of Jesus’ Preaching
Paul: The Letter and the Spirit of the Law
The Book of Revelation and the Symmetry of the Christian Bible
Glossary of Terms
Historical Chronology of Israel
Book of Isaiah: Introduction and Outline
Translations of the Bible
Maps