Writing on the Wall
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 07 September 2010 08:52:00
Maggi Dawn, as some of you will know, is an Anglican chaplain for a Cambridge college; a respected theologian; a recognised media commentator; an enthusiastic blogger; an accomplished musician and a mum amongst other things. It is therefore not suprising that she can pull off a near impossible task in her new book The Writing on the Wall: High Art, Popular Culture and the Bible.
The book is very readable and outlines the content of the whole biblical story whilst showing, appropriately, with references to high and low culture where it has influenced our wider life.
The biblical material is handled sensitively, with theological debates surrounding the different themes neatly summed up. I found her discussion of the sacrifice of Isaac one particularly interesting example of this.
The cultural material is equally well handelled although her own interests, in the literature of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and paintings of Caravaggio do sometimes appear to come to the fore in the inevitable sifting process she had to engage in. I felt sad that in her list of paintings depicting Hagar and Ishmael Gainsborough's painting on this theme which hangs in the Welsh National Gallery/ Museum in Cardiff was not included. Also the lack of reference to Ralph McTell's "Jesus Wept" seemed another glaring omission. However, these observations simply reflect my own tastes and passions. This takes us back to why with her multiple references to Coleridge and Caravaggio Dawn succeeds so well; this book obviously stems from a passion for her topic(s). In the cultural material I was really challenged and inspired by her explanation of the hymn Jerusalem which apparently owes more to radical politics than patriotism writ large.
My only real criticisms of this remarkable book are that is far more high culture than low or popular. The popular culture references tend to relate to the tastes of the 30+ middle class consumer. Basically, this is a book you can quite happily imagine Emma Thompson's character in Love Actually sitting down to read with a glass of wine and thoroughly enjoying.
With the trainee local preacher hat on I would add this is a very useful resource book. Dawn includes bible passages at various points which reflect the choices of the lectionary. She then signposts the reader to theological ideas and cultural references which tie in with the passage. Thus, this book provides and excellent resource for the preacher looking for ideas.
All in all if you're writing your Christmas or b'day list I'd suggest this goes near the top of the list whether you are a Christian or not.