Bible and culture [ LTHEO2431 ]

The course 'Bible et culture' aims at studying the influence of the bible on several expressions of visual arts, music and literature. During the academic year 2013-2014, the Old Testament book of Song of Songs (Canticles) and particularly its theme of divine/human love will be dealt with. Being a literary work of love poetry, this biblical book has given rise to very different interpretations, going from theological-allegorical into explicitly anthropological and even pure erotic readings. Undoubtedly, this plurality of interpretations finds its origin in the way the protagonists of the texts ' a boy and a girl ' have been interpreted: as allegory of God and Israel, of Jesus and the church, of the church and the virgin Mary, but equally as human characters of a young boy and his beloved girl.

- To recognise biblical traditions in the arts (music, literature and visual arts)
- To become familiar with the reception of biblical traditions and their interpretations in the arts
- To interpret different artistic expressions against the background of a concrete biblical tradition and to appreciate them as legitimate interpretations of the bible
- To valorise the bible as a source of inspiration for the arts
 

Paper. 

The course consists of seven parts, which are taught by different professors of the Faculté de Théologie and the Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres of the UCL :
- Biblical introduction: (1) Song of Songs as biblical literature
- Bible and the history of arts: (2) Song of Songs and the visual arts
- Bible and literature: (3) Song of Songs and Spanish literature from the 16th century; (4) Song of Songs and baroque spiritual poetry; (5) Song of songs and contemporary French literature; (6) Song of Songs and English literature
- Bible and music: (7) Song of Songs and music