10/21/2023 0 Comments R crumb book of genesisSuch an approach means there is scope for those marginalised communities to interact with and present the Bible in ways meaningful and representative of them since they are not bound to traditional approaches of finding meaning in the Bible. Such contextualisation and comparison demonstrate how biblical comic books can move beyond the constraints of traditional biblical criticism to reinterpret characters and stories from perspectives previously unvisited or at least, under-visited, by emphasising cultural interaction with the Bible. 24:15–67 and 25:19–28 of Crumb’s version, before contextualising these narratives in biblical scholarship including feminist approaches. First, I discuss the influence of Teubal’s work on Crumb, and I then move to the retelling of Rebekah’s story in both Gen. In relation to the figure of Rebekah then, this article demonstrates how the dimension of images in particular acts as a commentary to the “original” text, reframing Rebekah as a matriarchal leader in image only rather than word. However, Crumb’s Genesis, Illustrated is a “word-for-word” version of Genesis, meaning Crumb incorporates every single word from the “original text.” Thus, there is an inherent tension between authority and medium, which exists when comic books seek to represent sacred texts in an alternative graphical format which does not comply with the history of the Bible as a “cultural icon of faith as black and white certainty.” The traditional text-only Bible will always claim authority over any alternative-media retellings which seek to reproduce those sacred texts. Crumb suggests that his representation of Rebekah is therefore a return to how her story would have been told prior to patriarchal strategising which has undermined her position and authority. 24:15–67 and 25:19–28) since Crumb has utilised the tools and resources of comic books to present Rebekah as a powerful woman hailing from a matriarchal society whose story and status, he argues, have since been diminished by later editors and redactors of the text. Crumb as a case study to demonstrate how and why biblical comic books are well-positioned to reframe and in some cases rewrite biblical stories and characters in ways that encourage biblical scholars to view afresh those narratives.įrom a literary perspective incorporating visual criticism, I focus on the character of Rebekah (Gen. This article considers one such comic book Bible, The Book of Genesis, Illustrated by R. Gunn suggests such cultural retellings of the Bible are an opportunity to investigate sociological and ideological enquiries about society, culture and religion more broadly, meaning the text of the Bible can be read and interpreted in a multitude of ways which can forefront marginalised groups who may otherwise be left out of the text. By their nature, comic books are “non-controllable” vehicles of cultural expression which serve to “undercut the monopolisation of culture by the elite and privileged and to make room for culture that is not usually the subject of elite study.” Biblical comic books and other alternative or non-traditional methods of retelling biblical stories can challenge established practices of biblical interpretation which are often rooted in patriarchal and conservative ideologies and may open the text up to more creative interpretations which are not restrained by those traditional approaches of reading the Bible. The rise in popularity of biblical comic books has brought with it the opportunity to interrogate, challenge, reframe and reimagine difficult aspects of sacred scripture through text–image retellings. The case study demonstrates how biblical comic books can move beyond the constraints of traditional biblical scholarship to reinterpret characters and stories from perspectives previously unvisited. 24:15–67 and 25:19–28), demonstrating how the combination of text and image acts as a commentary to the biblical narrative as well as reframing Rebekah as a matriarchal leader, a move which is not reflected in the words but is depicted through accompanying images. Crumb (2009) as a case study which focuses on the character of Rebekah (Gen. Crumb’s The Book of Genesis, Illustrated by R. As such, they can offer retellings of biblical narratives which challenge established practices of biblical interpretation normally rooted in patriarchal and conservative ideologies and may open the text up to more creative interpretations which are not restrained by those traditional approaches of reading the Bible. By their nature and format, comic books are uncontrollable vehicles of cultural expression, and in the case of biblical comic books, religious expression. The rise in popularity of comic book Bibles has brought with it the opportunity to interrogate, challenge, reframe and reimagine difficult aspects of sacred scripture through text–image retellings.
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