More on Ehrman's Cartoon Textbook


I cut and pasted the textbook proposal by Professor  Bart Ehrman yesterday. I did not post it to advertising the subjects covered. There is nothing unusual about the topics. The same topics would be covered by a Christian author writing for students in a Christian institution. A Christian author obviously would have a different approach than one approaching the Bible from a critical literature perspective. I included the topics because it will be fascinating to see what stories will be illustrated by an artist and then how they will be explained by a critic in just a few words.

I've been away from the academic world for several years but learned recently this approach, using graphic artists and compressed explanations, is used in several disciplines. It is even used in mathematics. In a way, this just more of the textbook innovation that has been going on for many decades. My first college texts were black and white. The ones I used at the end were several colors with pictures, inserts, sidebars, etc.

When I was teaching the rather abstract discipline of economics I used to wonder about using some approach other than the standard textbook/lecture method. I have a limited background in theater and wrote a draft of stage dialogue for a play depicting some concepts taught in the classroom. Even a short simple stage production is a huge undertaking and I never did anything with it. Graphic art has more potential.

In Ehrman's follow up blog he explained his popular textbook on the New Testament is 572 pages. The graphic one he is planning is only 150 pages consisting mostly of drawings and a small amount of text.

He anticipates it will be used as a supplementary text in courses about the New Testament, Jesus, The Gospels, Paul, History of Christianity and so on.

Story telling through graphic art is and has always been big outside of academia. Think of the many cartoons in movies and on television. The comic book business itself is now a sophisticated genre with fans among middle aged readers.

Reading the Bible as literature rather than worship seem to be growing rapidly.

Comments

  1. little helperJanuary 28, 2020 at 5:04 PM

    I have never considered the Bible as a book of worship. The contents however provide that which is worshiped.

    ReplyDelete
  2. little helperJanuary 28, 2020 at 5:08 PM

    By the way, how would you define worship?

    ReplyDelete
  3. little helperJanuary 28, 2020 at 6:14 PM

    Some of the earliest catechisms were pictographic, with each commandment and the chief parts of the Creed on a separate card. The stained glass windows were also aids in learning the essentials of the faith. Mainly because so many people couldn't read. Include the stations of the cross in Catholic Churches. Ehrman must have finally discovered this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenJanuary 28, 2020 at 6:24 PM

      Helper "Ehrman must have finally discovered this."

      Ehrman said it was his publisher who pitched the idea. It had never occurred to him prior to that. The earliest "writing" was cave art. So yes, it's not new. It's new for college textbooks.

      Delete
    2. little helperJanuary 28, 2020 at 6:51 PM

      So Ehrman isn't as an original thinker as you present. A regular "me too" guy, going pop.
      Your last topic is evidence. Nothing new there either.

      Delete
    3. little helperJanuary 29, 2020 at 7:34 AM

      A follow up; In the "God News for Modern Man" bible, (copyright 1976) highly stylized art work is present throughout, in virtually every book and chapter representing the essential theme presented. This is a student friendly translation in modern English.

      Delete

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