The Agnostic Bible
Herbert Marks
Comparative Literature
There is arguably no book of world literature that has been more embroidered, distorted, and misread than the Hebrew Bible. As the ultimate source of Jewish law and the foundation of Christian theology, it is held up even today as a moral and metaphysical guide. But there is a significant strain in the Bible that is impatient with piety and suspicious of dogmatic wisdom, particularly the wisdom of those who presume on their knowledge of the uncanny central figure it calls God or Yahweh. Indeed, if one reads against the grain of tradition, the Bible is a book that revels in contradiction, invites questions but frustrates answers, views human and divine morality with skepticism, and treats its characters, legendary or historical, with irreverent license. The course will explore this skeptical strain in biblical literature through close analysis of a range of texts from Genesis to Job.
This class will be conducted as a seminar with weekly meetings and limited enrollment. Students will be expected to share their ideas through regular formal presentations and active discussion.
This class will meet with CMLT-C 200.
Catalog Information: HON-H 234 LITERATURE OF TIME AND PLACE