I (kind of, not really) apologise for the terrible pun... But as you might've seen elsewhere on social media, if you follow either my art Instagram or FB page - I just finished and handed in my dissertation (above)!!! It has been a long journey, with a lot of days in it where I felt I would never make it, a lot more days where I was confident I would and I was simply lost in the joy of researching and writing! But what is it that I've been working almost non-stop on for the last 4 or 5 months?? Well, let me tell you!
My abstract reads: "This dissertation offers an alternative understanding to several of the peaceful vision passages in the Hebrew Bible. Specifically, it addresses: (1) the image of transcendence in the raising of the mountain in Micah 4:1-5 and Isaiah 2:2-5, and how this relates to (or results in) weapons being made into tools; (2) the depiction of peace and security in Isaiah 11:1-9 and 65:17-25, especially prominent in the images of predators with prey; and (3) visions of utopian joy and celebration in Isaiah 35:1-10 and 29:17-24. The works of three metamodern, contemporary artists - David Thorpe, Olafur Eliasson and Paula Doepfner - are used to produce a hermeneutical lens (using the metamodern understanding of utopia, developed by analysing the art works, as a tool with which to read these biblical texts from a particular perspective). This then develops a new interpretation in an attempt to allow the biblical texts to dialogue with a contemporary generation. Thus, a metamodern reading of these visions focuses on the ability of the depictions of a peaceful future in the Hebrew Bible to estrange readers from their present reality in order to be able to critique, through the perspective of the utopia, what in their lives it perceives as negative. Furthermore, the visions as utopias function constructively as well as critically and so they also educate readers’ desires in wanting a better alternative reality. Confronted with ambiguity, violence, hope and a sense of an ‘impossible possibility’ in the passages, metamodern readers continue seeking this better alternative reality while knowing that they will never find it. Being metamodern, these individuals oscillate between knowing utopia is not possible and knowing it is the only way forward. These visionary texts, for a metamodern audience then, lead to confusion and uncertainty, but they also provide much needed hope and an authentic promise of something more to keep striving for." I have loved looking at and reading about the contemporary art and these artists, and analysing how art can help biblical scholars to both access and share meaning in a contemporary way. This allows the Bible to continue to dialogue with contemporary generations and the structures of feeling that surround them. If you are interested in reading my dissertation then get in touch; let me know the purpose for your interest and I'll see what I can do! As always - thanks for reading, and much love!
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AuthorI'm a recent Cambridge Theology graduate now studying for a Masters in Biblical Studies and blogging about all sorts of things! I'm interested in faith, Church, theology, social action, the great outdoors and being creative, and all of those things - along with many more - come through in my posts!
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April 2020
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