The Bible has been described as “the Word of God in human words – both the divine and the human are true authors”. A focus on the human composition and artistry of biblical ‘texts’ needs to consider their historical, cultural, literary, ‘contexts’, ‘environments’, and the times and settings of their production. This assignment is an opportunity to practice the ‘three-world’ framework for interpreting human artistry/creations by applying the framework to either an artistic painting, song, literary work, or film of your choosing.
- In addition to Carvalho’s description, refer especially to the notes which describe this framework that apply it to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Use the same outline/structure. This is not a formal paper – it is an exercise. Be ready to present/share in this week’s Discussion some of the insights gained from this activity.
- Make sure to adhere to each step as you practice working with this framework. Select a painting, song, literary work, or film that interests you. This will be your ‘text’.
- Conduct basic research on the specific example (the ‘text’) you chose.
- List and briefly describe your findings based on the three world categories:
- The world behind the text: the actual world (historical, socio-cultural, political, ideological, etc.) when it was produced. (125-150 words)
- The world of/within the text: the world of the text itself (contents, genre, stories, themes, ideas, message, etc.) (125-150 words)
- The world in front of the text: the original audiences and today’s audiences and how audiences relate to these (shaped by their cultures, social locations, personal and social experiences, concerns, biases, etc.) (125-150 words)
- Which methods/approaches to the ‘text’ you explored/interpreted would you utilize? Base your response on the examples Carvalho discusses. (125-150 words)
- Imagine conducting such an analysis/interpretation of a biblical text. Which one(s) would you be most interested in researching? Why so? Indicate what methods/approaches you would find most beneficial and why.
- Much of biblical literature is the result of communities struggling to survive or respond to catastrophes. What difference does it make to read/interpret biblical texts from the experience of marginality, oppression, poverty, exclusion, danger? Provide at least one brief example (125-150 words)
- There are other interpretive approaches/lenses/”frames of references” to interpreting many biblical texts, such as ‘Trauma Theory’ and post-Holocaust* readings not discussed by Carvalho.
- As an example, how would a book like Lamentations or Job be read through the lens of trauma theory or the experience of the Shoah/Holocaust? Refer to the article by Alphonso Groenewald, “‘Trauma is suffering that remains’. The contribution of trauma studies to prophetic studies”. How do you imagine using such a lens in your own ministerial practice/praxis? (125-150 words)
