Old Testament Exegesis I (narrative literature) [ LTHEO2211 ]

2013-2014
'The Art of repetition in biblical narrative. The example of the Abraham cycle'
It is clear that the way of telling a story ' the narrative strategy ' guides its reception by the reader by playing in particular on his feelings and his/her feelings, but also on its sense of the ethics. Among the narrative techniques used to create these effects, we find several types of repetitions - an unusual phenomenon in the western literatures because considered generally as unsightly. One can observe these repetitions at the level of the words or the expressions, of the sentences, of the motives and themes but also on the level of the scenes. They are rarely literal, so that the observed variations carry often narrative effects or are important for the sense of the narrative.
In the episodes of the Abraham cycle (Gn 11,27-25,18), we shall investigate the different types of repetitions to study their narrative function and their impact on the meaning of what is told. The exegetical method will be narrative analysis, articulated with a theological and anthropological hermeneutics.
 

Evaluation : before the examination, the student will have handed the report of two scientific articles or parts of books chosen in a list proposed by the professor. Written examination on the exegesis of an episode (of a part) analyzed in the course.
Formula adapted for the students of EBIB 2.

Prerequisites : initiation in the narrative analysis of the biblical texts.
Otherwise : durant the first month, reading of a work explaining the basic procedures of this method and indicated by the professor.