Bitemybible

'Defacing the Bible' versus 'Talking Back'

    
News that the Bible is being 'defaced' at a Glasgow museum in the name of art has understandably, sparked an outcry. An exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), called Made in God's Image, features a Bible where gay and transgendered people are encouraged to 'write their way back in' if they feel excluded. Not surprisingly, perhaps, people have scribbled obscenities in the featured Bible.

The artist responsible for the exhibit, Anthony Schrag, worked in co-operation with a gay Christian group to get the project going. The rather naive church in question, The Metropolitan Community Church, has now been left somewhat red-faced over the incident. But Schrag has defended his exhibit, saying, "Are those who say they are upset offended by the things that people write, or just by the very notion that someone should write on a Bible?". (Photo: Vernon Dutton)

Jesus Christ Superstar: Undervalued Kitsch

This week, I've been doing some research on the influence that the Bible had had on stage and screen. You can forget Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat, the rock opera that I now believe is an underrated classic is Jesus Christ Superstar. My one flashback memory from childhood of the film (never saw the stage show) is everyone getting on the bus after the crucifixion.

I was clearly too young to appreciate the true value of what I had been watching. With its up-tempo numbers and quirky casting, Jesus Christ Superstar is a great example of biblical entertainment. And I can guarantee you that if you watch the clip above, the song will be in your head all day long.

Brits 'shelve' rather than know the Bible

 
I've just got round to having a proper look at the preliminary findings of the National Biblical Literacy Survey. The survey was released by the Centre For Biblical Literacy and Communication at Durham University and was discussed on the Sunday programme and in The Independent earlier in the week.

While three quarters of Brits own a Bible, it seems that it stays on the shelf. The survey revealed very low levels of biblical literacy. Not surprisingly, very few could name the Ten Commandments. Most surprisingly, however, 57% had no idea about the story of Joseph and his brothers while 60% were clueless about the parable of the Good Samaritan. And people tended to be more familiar with the New than the Old Testament.

So those are the headlines. But what does this mean? The rather strange leaking of only some of the findings at this point has left many questions unanswered. Do British people actually like the Bible? What is their attitude towards it? Do they think it has any continued relevance? Fortunately, I have some of the answers to this. (Photo: GeoWombats)