Bible, Politics, and the Internet

Why do some herald Donald Trump as the fulfillment of biblical prophecies? Does the Bible support building walls or welcoming immigrants? How about vaccines or mask resistance? The Bible is everywhere in American politics and public life, on multiple sides of every debate and in quite a few unexpected places. If you have trouble making sense of it all, you are certainly not alone. Sometimes public interpretation of the Bible is thoughtful and nuanced, but just as often biblical quotations are taken out of context, invoked inappropriately, or given meanings that contradict their original sense. How do we assess invocations of biblical texts and distinguish those with merit from those that are ahistorical and irresponsible? This course will strengthen students' ability to analyze, assess, and respond to the various types of biblical interpretation and invocation common in American social life and politics. It aims to bridge the gap between the academic study of biblical texts and their use in modern public life. As it is a Digital Humanities course, we will focus particularly on the Bible's use online and the use of digital tools in biblical research, ancient and modern.