Biblical stories and motifs are found everywhere in European art, music, architecture, and literature.
Some of these are obvious, such as in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper” or George Frideric Handel’s “The Messiah.” Others require a closer familiarity with the Bible to reveal their full interpretive dimensions. These include, for example, Margaret Atwood’s novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” and its modern film adaptation: Here, biblical terms (including “Gilead” and “Martha”) and motifs (including surrogate motherhood through the use of female slaves) are incorporated.
Once we understand these biblical concepts and motifs and become aware of their contexts, certain aspects of European cultural history become truly comprehensible.
Together, we will examine such examples from our cultural history and their biblical backgrounds.
