The Bible as the Root of Western Literature: Stories, Poems and Parables (The Modern Scholar) 14 Lectures

by Adam Potkay

14 Lectures, 7 Compact Discs
The goal of this audio course is to provide listeners with a literary and historical overview of the Bible, from its opening in Genesis to its ending in the Book of Revelation, and also with a sense of some of the ways in which the Bible has influenced the literary traditions of the West. We’ll be exploring key scenes, stories, forms, and books of the Bible through the methods of literary and cultural analysis. We’ll be asking questions such as: what, in literary terms, might a Biblical story mean? How does its form and style contribute to its meaning? How has the story been read by other readers, from influential theologians of the past (such as St. Augustine and John Calvin) to literary critics of our own day? Finally, in what ways has the story had an impact on the literature, as well as the larger cultural life, of Europe and America? We pay particular attention to the ways in which the Bible has influenced the canon of English and American literature, including Shakespeare, Charlotte Brontë, and Robert Frost.

(1) Most of us have studied the Bible in one form or another as a child. But did you know that the Bible has served as the inspiration for many writers over the centuries—from Emily Brontë to Oscar Wilde?
(2) Professor Potkay begins deep in the heart of the Torah (Old Testament) with the story of Cain and Abel, showing us how it inspired a variety of writers, including John Milton and Lord Byron.
(3) From the romantic, seductive style of the Song of Solomon to the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, you’ll recognize the human emotions and ambitions that are echoed by writers like James Joyce and John Donne.
(4) With his love and passion for literature, Professor Potkay will lead you on a remarkable and exciting journey through the pages of the best-selling book in the history of the world.

Course Syllabus (from study guide)
Introductory Remarks
Lecture 1 Authorship and Style in the Torah
Lecture 2 Cain and Abel in Story, Theology and Literary History
Lecture 3 Icons and Iconoclasm: From Moses to Milton
Lecture 4 The Story of King David, or the Varieties of Love
Lecture 5 The Song of Solomon: The Poetry of Sacred and Profane Love
Lecture 6 Psalms: The Poetry of Praise and Supplication
Lecture 7 Proverbs: The Way to Wisdom
Lecture 8 The Book of Job: The Problem of Evil and the Aesthetics of the Sublime
Lecture 9 Ecclesiastes and the Questioning of Wisdom
Lecture 10 Isaiah and Prophecy
Lecture 11 Typology: The Life of Christ as Fulfillment of the Old Testament
Lecture 12 Parables: The Form of Jesus' Teaching
Lecture 13 Paul: The Letter and the Spirit of the Law
Lecture 14 The Book of Revelation and the Symmetry of the Christian Bible
Glossary
Israel: Historical Chronology
Book of Isaiah, Introduction and Outline
Translations of the Bible
Map—Ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean
Suggested Course Materials

Genres: Literature, History, Audiobook, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology

Audio CD

Published January 30, 2003

Reviews

[Emanuele Pezzani · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best TMS courses I've listened to (and much better than many Great Courses, too). This is the course on the Bible as literary phenomenon that I was looking for, something that provides ample information on Biblical scholarship and literary criticism (the J, E, P and D revisions of the Torah; how Hebrew poetry works; what's a parable...), as well as theological commentary and (by necessity short but no less interesting) notes on the fortune of Biblical books, from Dante to Shakespeare, up to Margaery Kempe and Edmund Burke.

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 3 out of 5]

These lectures provide an overview of the Bible from a literary perspective. Historical and theological issues are addressed as required to understand the thinking of scholars and writers throughout history who were influenced by the biblical stories. The ultimate focus of each lecture is to explore the impact of a specific story of the Bible on the literature and cultural life of Europe and America.

My main interest in listening to these lectures was to see what Professor Potkay had to say about the book of Job. The Great Books KC group is planning to discuss Job later this year and I consider these lectures to be good background material. I still don’t know why bad things happen to good people.

I’ve listened to a number of these lecture series and have found them to be an enjoyable way to learn from the best academic lecturers at the college level without the hassle, cost and stress of actually attending class. The lecture materials include printed lesson outlines and suggested additional reading, and some even have on-line quizzes (that I mostly ignore). It never occurred to me before that I could include lectures on my Goodreads.com book list. But they have ISBN numbers that allows them to be considered as published books. I accidentally came across this series listed on Goodreads so I decided to add it to my list.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This course isn't bad, per se, but it's a prime example of missing the forest for the trees

[SJ L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first lecture on tape series that I in fact know the professor. I took class with Adam Potkay at William and Mary, it was a Shakespeare class, and what’s impressive about Potkay is his unabashed joy for life that infuses his teaching. He does not put on the stuffy and stoic air of academia while teaching, but smiles and speaks with real enthusiasm. There is something remarkably refreshing about that approach. His classes are always full at William and Mary, he’s well renowned and well liked, for good reasons. He’s joyful and teaches high quality classes.
This course is an introduction to some of the more famous biblical stories with respect to how they influenced literature. For example, a story will be discussed in the Bible and then Potaky will discuss the appearance of those motifs or stories in Renaissance literature, Shakespeare, etc. If you went to religious school or are well versed in the Bible the course may seem too basic, but if you are unfamiliar with some of the more famous stories and characters from the Bible I think this course is an excellent introduction. It’s hard to understand Western art (literature included) if you do not know the Bible, so if you did not receive that background in school and want to fill in the gaps of knowledge, you may want to check out this course. Good stuff Potkay, as usual.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would definitely take a class with Potkay. this is the second set of lectures on playaway Ive listened to. learned that 3 schools of interpretation of new testament are typological annageeocal and tropology,spelled completely wrong. the first comparing old and new testaments to find meaning was most interesting to me.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is hard to follow on audio, and I recommend to myself to get a hardcopy and read it literally. I am very impressed with the professor and his wife for putting this course together. I learned much about the influence on English literature by the bible.

[Lauree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing and interesting look at many books of the Bible from the perspective of someone who is extremely well-read.

[Steven Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pleasant and interesting read but not very informative if the reader is a student of the Bible.