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“I am the nail”: a Multimodal analysis of a contemporary reception of Isaiah 53

Dillon, Amanda orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-7929-6611 (2023) “I am the nail”: a Multimodal analysis of a contemporary reception of Isaiah 53. Religions, 14 (3). ISSN 2077-1444

Abstract
The Arma Christi, the instruments of the Passion of Christ, are a fascinating collection of symbols evident throughout the history of Christian art. This article considers the striking re- emergence of visual depictions of the Arma Christi in the contemporary spiritual practice of Bible Journaling. How have these symbols of the Passion made their way back into the popular Christian imaginary and creative expression of Bible readers today? The creative, devotional practice of Bible Journaling is gaining popularity in many countries, notably the US. Almost exclusively practiced by women, Bible Journaling involves making artistic interventions directly in the material artefact of the printed Bible, with different creative media. In considering the value of this practice for women’s spirituality, this article employs a social semiotic approach, multimodal analysis, to survey their visual representations and to analyse in detail one specific creative intervention, “I AM THE NAIL”, as a reception of a contemporary understanding of salvation through the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross. Also considered are intertextual readings of the Hebrew Bible (Isaiah 53: 3–5) and the NT. The semiotic influence of popular cultural products such as The Passion of the Christ movie on the visual idiom embraced by the journalers forms part of this analysis.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Bible Journaling; multimodal analysis; Isaiah 53; biblical reception; Passion of Christ; salvation; suffering servant; atonement; multimodality; Arma Christi; Bible and art
Subjects:Humanities > Semiotics
Humanities > Religions
Humanities > Culture
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > School of Theology, Philosophy, & Music
Publisher:MDPI
Official URL:https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030370
Copyright Information:© 2023 The Author.
Funders:Irish Research Council
ID Code:28264
Deposited On:17 Apr 2023 12:54 by Amanda Dillon . Last Modified 17 Apr 2023 12:54
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