This course started with the question, “What would you discover if you started with the presupposition that the Bible is the greatest work of literary genius?” In the past 30 years there has been an explosion of literary studies of biblical books, sections, and techniques. This course collects all the greatest insights from this literature and works through the book of Genesis, uncovering layers of insight written by the Divine Artist.

John took his B.A. from Wheaton College in Philosophy (2007) and Bible and his M.A. from Wheaton’s Graduate school in Historical and Systematic Theology (2009). It was near the end of his undergraduate years that he started his lifelong obsession with the literary art of the Bible, leading to the launch of The Bible Is Art. John currently works in design and marketing.

The Bible is the greatest work of literary genius. In this first video, we discuss the nature of genius. In the processes we look at individual works of genius including Caravaggio’s Narcissus, Plato’s Republic, and the Gospel of Matthew.

Plato, The Republic

Caravaggio, Narcissus

Matthew 2:1–21

The world and stories are designed in layers. One of the keys to deeply understand both the physical world and the story world is to investigate the different layers. I look at the layers of the world and how to study them (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, sociology) and the layers in literature including an example from Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Dante, Comedia

Vertical Readings in Dante’s Comedy

Fokkelman, Reading Biblical Narrative Introductory Guide, 156–170.

In this video we explore the art of literary organization with examples from Genesis and the first five books of the Bible.

David A. Dorsey, The Literary Study of the Old Testament, 21–25.

I talk about the symbolism of the structure in Genesis and the purpose for the variation of the genres between narrative and genealogy.

John H. Sailhamer, The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation.

In this video I look at the symbolism of 10 in the literary structure of Genesis, the plagues, and the Ten Commandments.

Warren Austin Gage, The Gospel of Genesis: Studies in Protology and Eschatology, 7–15.

In this video I explore the subtle symbolism of the number seven in Genesis 1.

Jeffrey Morrow, “Creation as Temple-Building and Work as Liturgy in Genesis 1-3”

I explore how the author of Genesis introduces tension along with the art of literary overture. And Romeo and Juliet make an appearance.

Genesis 1:1–3

Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2.

In this section, I explore the first words and first actions of the main character in Genesis. We look at why the narrator has chosen these words and this action and discover how these words and actions will repeat and vary as God acts in the rest of Genesis.

Genesis 1:3

Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 143–162.

In this video I explore the two main ways biblical authors structure their stories. We look at some fascinating examples in the whole Joseph and Abraham narratives as well as the book of Jonah.

David A. Dorsey, The Literary Study of the Old Testament, 26–41.

In this video I look at the literary structure of Genesis Chapter 1 and three reasons for the artistic structure.

Genesis 1:1–31

Meredith Kline, Kingdom Prologue: Genesis Foundations for a Covenantal Worldview, 8–30.

In this video I look at some weird and wonderful details in the narrative of Genesis 1 and show how they resolve into a beautifully designed foreshadowing.

Genesis 1:1–31

Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 143–162.

In this week’s video we look the literary art in Day 2 of the creation week. We explore the characterization of God and how his action on Day 2 is the theme for fascinating variations in the rest of Genesis and Exodus.

Genesis 1:6–8

Wenham, Genesis 1–15, Volume 1

In this video I look at the distinctive features of Day 3 of the creation week. We will discover how God’s characterization on this day unfolds how he works in other biblical stories including the Abraham narrative and the story of Jesus.

Genesis 1:9–13

Wenham, Genesis 1–15, Volume 1