Hauptseminar Chapters into Verse The English Bible as Literature and in Literature

The Bible is the basic book of our civilization. Thanks some unusually gifted translators, it has formed the bedrock of many western cultures. Luther’s pioneering translation (1522-1545) had an enormous impact on German language and literature, and the famous King James Version (1611), following William Tyndale’s (1536) and other English Bibles of the 16th century, has informed Anglo-American culture to the present day. Serious students of English and American literature need to be familiar with key aspects of the English Bible; hence this course. The first part is devoted to an analysis of representative texts, mainly from the New Testament, as literary compositions. We will focus on the gospel writers’ narrative strategies and Paul’s epistolary style and rhetoric but also study the aesthetics and politics of their translation and interpretation. In a second step we will look at classic and modern poets who ‘translated’ and transformed individual chapters in the Bible into verse. This course is especially designed for students interested in Cultural Studies (Kultur-wissenschaften), and we will occasionally cooperate with related seminars in Religious Studies taught by Professors Kleffmann and Klumbies. A three-day field trip to Wittenberg from 3 to 5 June is mandatory. Since places are limited, early registration (via email) and attendance at our first meeting is required. Students need to have an English Bible, preferably the Authorized King James Version, edited by R. Carroll and S. Prickett for The World’s Classics series of Oxford University Press, available at good bookstores like -UNI-Buch-. A tentative outline of our course with additional material (*) will be provided in a seminar file BB2 weeks ahead of the term. Bemerkung Mag., Diplom, BA EAS and EACBS, MA EAS and EACBS, L1, L2, L3, L4. N.B.: auch -Kulturwissenschaft-! Voraussetzungen A successfully completed undergraduate research paper (-Proseminararbeit-) in Literary Studies; good command of English and German. Participants are expected to have read (quiz!) the complete gospel of Mark and the -Introduction” in Carroll’s and Prickett’s edition of the Bible (at least pp. xi-xxix) prior to our first meeting (mastercopy in file). Leistungsnachweis Credit (-Teilnahmeschein-) for regular and active participation, including an oral presentation with handout; full credit (-Leistungsschein-) for an additional term paper (approx. 20-25 standard pages). Topics can be discussed with me in advance. FB 02 Institut für Anglistik / Amerikanistik A successfully completed undergraduate research paper (-Proseminararbeit-) in Literary Studies; good command of English and German. Participants are expected to have read (quiz!) the complete gospel of Mark and the -Introduction” in Carroll’s and Prickett’s edition of the Bible (at least pp. xi-xxix) prior to our first meeting (mastercopy in file). Credit (-Teilnahmeschein-) for regular and active participation, including an oral presentation with handout; full credit (-Leistungsschein-) for an additional term paper (approx. 20-25 standard pages). Topics can be discussed with me in advance. Uni Kassel SoSe 2013 Anglistik/Englisch Anglistik/Englisch Prof. Dr. Göske Daniel