Bible and Visual Art

Call For Papers: The Bible and Visual Art section welcomes submissions for the following two sessions at the Annual Meeting in 2019: (1) For a joint session with the Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies we seek papers by scholars, artists, and activists that will investigate, illuminate, demonstrate, interrogate whether and how biblically inspired or oriented visual imagery contribute to movements of resistance and/or the work of decolonization. Themes for exploration could include but are not limited to race, gender, religious and cultural imperialism, and anthropomorphism. Presenters may wish to engage with some of the following questions: (i) Are artists using biblical imagery to participate in movements of resistance and decolonization, to what texts and imagery are they most drawn, and how do the images they use function as acts of resistance or "interruption" or "dangerous memories" during times of social protest? (ii) What aesthetic and theological theories, hermeneutics, or critical theories (of race, gender, class, sexuality or other intersections) either inform artists’ use of biblical images of resistance or protest or the reception of these visual expressions? (2) For our open session, we invite proposals that fall within our broad purpose: to explore historical, hermeneutical, theological, iconographic and/or theoretical aspects related to the interpretation of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures in visual art through the centuries. We particularly encourage topics that relate to art, sculpture or other forms of biblical art in public spaces in San Diego, California. (3) Our third session, co-sponsored by the Cognitive Linguistics section, will bring together art historians and biblical scholars to explore the relationship between images, cognitive linguistics and biblical texts.

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