Articles
- Impact of the Bible
- The cultural influence of the Bible and Christianity in England
- Bible in English culture, The
- English Bible Translations
- Influence of the Book of Common Prayer on the English language
- A history of the church in England
- Culture and sung Christian worship
- Famous stories from the Bible
- Literary titles from the Bible
- Common Sayings from the Bible
- Big ideas from the Bible
- Adoption
- Angels
- Anger
- Anointing
- Apocalypse, Revelation, the End Times, the Second Coming
- Armour
- Ascent and descent
- Atonement and sacrifice
- Babel, language and comprehension
- Baptism
- Betrayal
- Blood
- Bread
- Bride and marriage
- Cain and Abel
- Christians
- City and countryside
- Cleansing
- Clothing
- Community, church, the body of Christ
- Covenant
- Creation, creativity, image of God
- Cross, crucifixion
- Curtain/veil
- Darkness
- Death and resurrection
- Desert and wilderness
- Devils
- Donkey, ass
- Doubt and faith
- Dove
- Dreams, visions and prophecy
- Earth, clay, dust
- Exile
- Feasting and fasting
- Fire
- Forgiveness, mercy and grace
- Fruit, pruning
- Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, 'Second Adam'
- Gateway, door
- Goats
- Grass and wild flowers
- Harvesting
- Heaven
- Hell
- Incarnation (nativity)
- Inheritance and heirs
- Jewels and precious metals
- Jews, Hebrews, Children of Israel, Israelites
- Journey of faith, Exodus, pilgrims and sojourners
- Judgement
- Justice
- Kingship
- Last Supper, communion, eucharist, mass
- Light
- Lion
- Lost, seeking, finding, rescue
- Messiah, Christ, Jesus
- Miracles
- Mission, evangelism, conversion
- Moses
- Music
- Names
- Noah and the flood
- Numbers in the Bible
- Parables
- Parents and children
- Passover
- Path, way
- Patriarchs
- Peace
- Penitence, repentance, penance
- Poverty and wealth
- Prayer
- Promised Land, Diaspora, Zionism
- Psalms
- Rabbi, Pharisee, teacher of the law
- Redemption, salvation
- Rest
- Rock and stone
- Salt
- Seed, sowing
- Serpent, Devil, Satan, Beast
- Servant-hood, obedience and authority
- Sheep, shepherd and lamb
- Sin
- Slavery
- Soul
- Temple, tabernacle
- Temptation
- Ten Commandments, The
- Trees
- Trinity, Holy Spirit
- Vine, vineyard
- Water
- Weeds, chaff, briar, thorn
- Wisdom and foolishness
- Women in the Bible
- Word of God
- Work and idleness
- Investigating the Bible
- Literary allusions to the Bible
- Pilgrimage in literature
- Biblical style in poetry
- Biblical imagery in metaphysical poetry
- Bible/Literature intertextuality
- The cultural influence of the Bible and Christianity in England
Music
From the beginning of creation
Music to commemorate
Music to express emotion
David’s harp
The book of Psalms
- When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey the crowds sang Psalms 118:25–26 (see Mark 11:9)
- Paul’s letters to early churches mention singing psalms to one another (Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19)
Music as a backdrop to life
Worship and celebration
Battle cry
New Testament songs
- When Mary was visited by an angel to be told she would conceive and give birth to Jesus, she sang a song of praise, known later at the Magnificat (see Luke 1:46–55, and Mary's response to the annunciation (Magnificat))
- Zechariah also responded in thankful song to the promise of a son (see Luke 1:68–79).
- The twelve disciples sang after their final meal with Jesus (the Passover meal) with him (see Matthew 26:29–30)
- When Paul and Silas were thrown in prison they sang hymns which were the precursor to a miracle (see Acts 16:25–26). As a result, the jailer and his family all became Christians.
Depictions of heavenly worship
Other cultural references
- Drama: Shakespeare frequently used music in his plays to establish mood and many plays contained song lyrics e.g.: Ariel’s songs in The Tempest
- Music: Stevie Wonder’s album Songs in the Key of Life
- Art: Three Musicians by Pablo Picasso, The Piano Lesson, by Henri Matisse
Related topics
- Aspects of literature > Impact of the Bible > Culture and sung Christian worship
- Big ideas: Psalms;
- Famous stories from the Bible: Jesus riding into Jerusalem; Mary’s response to the annunciation; Paul and Silas in Prison; The battle of Jericho
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- King James Version
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A great debate on why, if God is just and good, he allows innocent people to suffer (theodicy); recognised as a literary masterpiece for the wealth and energy of its language and the power of its thought
Essentially the hymn book of the Jerusalem temple, expressing the whole range of human emotion, from dark depression to exuberant joy; many attributed to David.
Big ideas: Psalms
Luke is the author of both this gospel and an account of the early church (Acts). The gospel is addressed to Gentiles and includes unique stories e.g. the good Samaritan and the prodigal son. There is also the only New Testament record of a childhood incident when Jesus was found in the Temple with Jewish religious leaders of the day.
Famous stories from the Bible: Jesus, his birth; Feeding of the 5000; The good Samaritan; The prodigal son
This is an example of apocalyptic literature, full of colourful imagery and symbolism. It contains seven letters to churches in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) who are commended for their zeal or criticised for lack of it. The overall message is that kingdom of God will triumph in the battle against evil and the book ends with a beautiful description of the Heavenly Jerusalem as the symbol of God's presence among humankind in a new heaven and earth.
Big ideas: Judgement; Dreams, visions and prophecy; Serpent, devil, Satan, beast; Apocalypse, Revelation, the End Times, the Second Coming
After the Israelites left Egypt and finally entered Canaan, their Promised Land, they were no longer led by Moses, but by the younger Joshua. In order to live in peace in their new country they had to conquer the great city of Jericho.
As they approached the city, Joshua was confronted by a man calling himself commander of the Lord’s army. He gave Joshua some strange instructions about how to capture Jericho, which Joshua followed.
He ordered the priests to lead the Israelite army all the way around the city. They were to march in silence except for the priests, who were to blow their trumpets. This was to continue for six days. On the seventh day they were to march not once, but seven times around the city. Then, after Joshua gave the word, were they to shout at the tops of their voices. The Israelites followed these instructions and on the final day the city walls collapsed at the noise, and the Israelite army captured the city, destroying everything.
The only exception was the family of Rahab, a prostitute. She had previously hidden two of the Israelites in her house when they came secretly to spy out the country. Without her help the two men would have been captured and killed, so they swore that she and her whole family would be spared and allowed to live peacefully among them when the Israelites defeated Jericho. Joshua and the people honoured this pledge for the rest of Rahab’s life.
The story illustrates:
- God honours those who honour him
- God’s people need to obey his instructions
- God can intervene miraculously in human history.
Related topics
Big ideas from the Bible: Miracles, Promised land, Diaspora, Zionism
After Mary had heard from the archangel Gabriel that she would become pregnant with the Son of God, and that her elderly cousin Elizabeth was also expecting a baby, she travelled to see Elizabeth. Mary spent about three months with her cousin, who encouraged her. Mary responded with a song of praise, now known as the Magnificat (from the first word of the Latin version).
In her prophetic poem, Mary recounts all the great things God has done, focussing particularly on his mercy to those who acknowledge him. She reminds herself that God has little time for the proud, arrogant and self-sufficient, but has infinite love for those who are humble and needy. Mary declares that God is holy and all-powerful, yet delights to lift up those who are bowed down, giving them good things. He honours his commitment to his children (in those times regarded as Israelites descended from Abraham).
Mary especially worships God for his kindness to her, and that, through no merit of her own, God is pouring out his blessings on her so that all future generations will honour her. The tone of the Magnificat overflows with joy that God has so blessed Mary.
The story illustrates:
- God can perform miracles, as he did with both Elizabeth and Mary
- God delights to reverse the usual rankings in society, humbling the proud and exalting the weak
- Submitting to God’s will, as Mary did, can bring great joy.
Related topics
Big ideas from the Bible: Dreams, visions and prophecy; Women in the Bible
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