The Bible in Western Civilization

Brilliantly taught and richly textured, this course is a treasure for those with an eye for art and a passion for exploring biblical allusions. Revisit familiar scenes from the gospels with Oxford-educated New Testament scholar Prof. Ian Boxall. Masterful and perceptive, Prof. Boxall commands your attention through the sheer caliber of his analysis—especially of biblical subjects in art. This course teems with gems of insight into the Bible and its 2,000 year impact on civilization. In 12 compelling audio lectures, this course brings you up to speed on “reception history” – a recent development in biblical scholarship that studies the ways in which different cultures and communities over time have read, understood, and appropriated biblical texts in a variety of media. Prof. Boxall surveys a wide range of interpretations of the gospels for your consideration: from paintings, frescoes, icons, and hymns to poems, apocryphal texts, and films. As you sift through levels of symbolism and historical parallel, you will gain a fuller appreciation for the way in which artists over time have re-energized the legends by which they were inspired. This course is part of the Learn25 collection and includes a free PDF study guide.