THEOREL 101
Bible and Popular Culture
Please note: this is archived course information from 2019 for THEOREL 101.
Description
Why did Kanye West invite Jesus on stage during his Yeezus tour? Who is the new messiah – Harry Potter or Harry Styles? Why are Adam and Eve so popular in contemporary advertising? What do Winston Peters and Donald Trump know about the Bible? And why should we care?
This course introduces you to the various ways that biblical themes, images and characters have an enduring presence and influence within contemporary popular culture. By learning to analyse religious and biblical references found in music, film, TV, art, advertising and the media, you will discover that, even in today’s increasingly secular world, the Bible continues to both influence and be influenced by our cultural, political and religious landscapes.
Learning outcomes
After finishing the course, you should:
- Be familiar with the basic theories of analysing popular culture and be able to apply these to cultural texts, including those encountered in class
- Be able to explain how the Bible influences popular culture and how popular culture influences interpretations of the biblical texts
- Be familiar with the ways in which the Bible functions as a cultural resource (or "prop") in a wide variety of contemporary contexts and cultures, including political debates, social media engagement and social discourses of gender, sexuality, race and class
- Be able to identify some significant Biblical themes and characters as they appear in popular culture texts, including film, music, art, advertising and television
- Demonstrate the ability to research and write a short, well-written essay on a theme from the course that captures your imagination
Availability 2019
Semester 2
Lecturer(s)
Coordinator(s) Dr Caroline Blyth
Points
THEOREL 101: 15 points
Restrictions
THEOLOGY 101, 101G
