About the Book
This edited collection argues that the Bible remains culturally relevant within our contemporary, secular society.
Frank G. Bosman, Maurits J. Sinninghe Damsté, Archibald L.H.M. van Wieringen, and their contributors trace how biblical imagery and phrasing are not only traceable but immanent in understanding our present-day cultural and spiritual status quo. Mapping numerous examples of these intertextual relationships, the essays herein compare, at the one hand, biblical texts and, at the other, cultural expressions in the 20th and 21st centuries. Zooming in on artifacts like The Book of Clarence (2023), Caroline Street's painting "Creation: Sixth Day," and the videogame Legion, the contributors discuss the nascent religious elements of these arguably "secular" texts. What sets this volume apart from similar, religious-based cultural analyses is its focus on what these intertextualities between religious and secular culture communicate about ourselves, the Bible, and society as a whole.
Table of Contents:
Introduction - THE COMMUNICATION-DYNAMICS OF INTERTEXTUALITY: A Liber Amicarum et Amicorum for Caroline Vander Stichele, Frank G. Bosman & Maurits J. Sinninghe Damsté & Archibald L. H. M. van Wieringen
1 - THE BOOK OF BEN SIRA AND MODERN ILLUSTRATED TRANSLATIONS: Graphic Artists as Beholders of the Text, Pancratius C. Beentjes
2 - WE ARE LEGION: An Intertextual Analysis of “Legion” and “A House Divided” in the Mass Effect Game Series, Frank G. Bosman
3 - A BLACK JESUS-FIGURE IN THE BOOK OF CLARENCE: Genre and Allusionism, Laura T. Copier
4 - ON THE MOUNTAINS OF SPICE: Imaginary Landscapes in Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain and in the Song of Songs, Dries J. L. A. De Crom
5 - MULTIPLE DOGS: The Power of the Dog and Psalm 22:20, Jan Willem van Henten
6 - THE NAME OF GOD REVISITED: Moses According to Johannes Wickert, Bart J. Koet
7 - “LET US MAKE BIODIVERSITY IN OUR IMAGE”: The Dutch Prayer Day for Crops and Labour Revised in the Light of the Climate Crisis, Deborah C. de Koning
8 - CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE AS A HEURISTIC DEVICE FOR UNDERSTANDING VARIANT READINGS IN NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS: Mark 9:11–13 as a Test Case, Hans H.M. Lammers
9 - THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF JESUS: His Visage and Its Importance, Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte
10 - GENESIS 1:1–2:3 AND CAROLINE STREET'S CREATION SIXTH DAY LAND CREATURES AND MAN: The Intertextuality between Both 'Texts' from a Communication Perspective, Cornelia J. M. Melisse
11 - IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED THEM: Divine Presence through Light, Colour, and Likeness in Two Medieval Works of Art, Esther M. Mulders
12 - THE SIXTH SENSE AND THE BIBLE: Reality, Awareness, and a Child, Jeremy Punt
13 - THE AXE LAID TO THE ROOT: A Biblical Expression and Its Reception in Early Christianity, Riemer Roukema
14 - ENIGMATIC MYSTERY AND HIEROGLYPHIC ALCHEMY: An Exploration of the Sculptures on Sodom and Gomorrah by Yehuda Levy-Aldema, Susanne Scholz
15 - LUKE 1:5–80 AND JIM JANKNEGT'S PAINTING THE VISITATION: An Intertextual Communication Analysis, Maurits J. Sinninghe Damsté
16 - LUKE 10:25–37 AND CONSTANT'S LA SAMARITAINE: A Communication-Oriented Analysis, M. Fleur Vroege-Crijns
17 - GENESIS 22:1–19 AND ALAN FALK'S THE BINDING OF ISAAC: An Intertextual Communication Analysis, Archibald L. H. M. van Wieringen
18 - THE COSMIC JOHANNINE JESUS, Ruben J. van Wingerden
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
About the Author :
Frank G. Bosman is Assistant Professor of Cultural Theology at the School of Catholic Theology, Tilburg University, the Netherlands.
Maurits J. Sinninghe Damsté is an Independent New Testament exegete, Spain.
Archibald L. H. M. van Wieringen is Professor of Old Testament at the School of Catholic Theology, Tilburg University, the Netherlands.
Review :
Caroline Vander Stichele's research has focused on the impact of the Bible on Western Culture. I recommend the Festschrift to her honor for two reasons. Firstly, its contributors develop a concept and method of intertextuality in a broad sense, not between texts in the Bible, but between Biblical texts and 20th century expressions of art, such as paintings, performances, films, songs and digital games. And secondly, their contributions convincingly show that the Bible still has a many-sided impact on contemporary art and culture.
Intertextuality Between Biblical Texts and Contemporary Culture explores how ancient scriptures continue to echo through modern media, from video games like Mass Effect to contemporary cinema. This insightful collection of essays honors the distinguished career of Caroline Vander Stichele by tracing the “communication-dynamics” that occur when biblical themes are reinterpreted across diverse cultural landscapes. Readers will encounter analyses into how texts like the Song of Songs or the Gospel of John are mirrored in everything from Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain to modern science fiction. It is an essential resource for scholars and students alike who are interested in the enduring influence of the Bible on the visual and narrative arts of the modern era.
The volume is a welcome addition to catalogue of studies on intertextuality and the biblical literature. Using a communication-oriented approach, the contributors explore various biblical texts and literature, film, and the visual arts. Rather than pursuing an intertextual perspective with a narrow focus on the composition of biblical texts, contributors to this volume use artifacts of contemporary culture to shed light on the possibilities of meaning for the biblical text. Engaging and rewarding!
This collection of essays, which connect biblical texts with contemporary literature and visual arts from the perspective communicative science, is a fascinating read. The broad range of cases drawn from graphic art, video games, film, ritual performances, sculptures, and science fiction reflects the remarkable variety of ways in which the Bible is addressed in contemporary, carefully-crafted communicative expressions. Through their intertextual observations and analyses, the authors successfully explore theological questions, inviting readers to consider how religious themes are reflected in contemporary artistic expressions of existential issues.
