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Protests in Wonderland and The Wizard of Uz: We Don’t Need No Education
January 28, 2023 , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST
Noon Pacific Time / 3:00 PM Eastern Time / 8:00 PM UK
Watch this talk comparing Alice in Wonderland and the Book of Job on YouTube.
The biblical book of Job and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are both written to make fun of overly confident religious leaders in their day who are way too eager to make meaning out of nonsense and find a moral lesson in chaos. Both books use similar plot devices, literary techniques, and jokes to drive this point home.
About Ryan Armstrong, Ph.D.
Dr. Armstrong makes use of his broad expertise to place rigorous philological scholarship of the Hebrew Bible in conversation with voices throughout history. From medieval rabbis to Christian reformers and Enlightenment artists, interpreters are emotionally invested in the words of the Bible. By understanding how diverse communities have related to these ancient texts, Armstrong uncovers ways for modern readers to relate to them. His recent work looks at the Book of Job with insights gained from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as it features debates between zany characters who describe the world through nonsensical poems that are full of nonce words. Take scholarly adventures with him on his YouTube channel, Bible and Culture with Dr. Armstrong!
