(March 19, 2014)

Religion Matters series explores "Comics and the Bible"

SHREVEPORT, LA — Elizabeth Coody '05, a Ph.D. candidate at Iliff School of Theology, will present a public talk, "Comics and the Bible: Matters of Imagination," Tuesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. in Kilpatrick Auditorium. Her discussion is the most recent address in the ongoing speaker series, "Religion Matters," a collaboration between Dr. Spencer Dew and the Christian Leadership Center.

Coody's talk will focus on the relationship between comic books or graphic novels and the Bible, asking the question, "How does this hybrid, verbal and visual form help us explore sacred history and theology, engage with ethics, and reimagine religious narratives?" She will offer a survey of comics history and comics technology today, analyzing some tools that comics use to tell stories. Particular attention will be paid to explicitly Bible-centered comics from last century and the present, from Picture Stories through the Bible to The Action Bible to Punk Rock Jesus.

Coody will also visit Dew's class on Judaism, discussing visual representations of the Akedah as well as the story of the sacrifice of Isaac. For anyone interested in her research and/or in graduate study, she will have lunch in the Audubon Room starting at 11:30 a.m. All are also welcome to attend a talk Coody will give to the religious studies honor society, TAK, on the contemporary graphic novel, Punk Rock Jesus, on March 24 at 5 p.m. in Kilpatrick Auditorium. The group will discuss a specific selection. For a PDF of the pages that will be discussed in advance, email Dew at email.

Passport Points will be available for Centenary students at the Religion Matters discussion Tuesday, March 25, at 7 p.m.