130031 PS Literary Cross-Currents (PS): Jesus as a literary figure (2012W)

Leaving aside the religious Christian meaning of Jesus of Nazareth, the course centers on the manifold literary uses of the character especially during the 20th and 21st centuries. Even though many novels and stories are concerned with the role of Jesus as Christ (Messiah), there are just as many that emphasize the human, the worldly and social revolutionary aspect of Jesus. Often, the historical man is contrasted with the spiritual Savior of the Church.
Based upon the four Gospels and other historical sources, we will establish a motivic catalogue that is applicable to different narratives (historical novels, modernizations, ironizations, allegoric transfers). A bibliography will be distributed in the first session.