The Bible and the Roots of Western Literature

Professor Potkay of the College of William and Mary traces the Bible's literary influence on Western (primarily English) literature. He works his way from Genesis to Revelation with 10 lectures on the narratives, poetry, and wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible, and four lectures on the parables, epistles, and prophecies of the New Testament, surveying the influence of these writings on the works of Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, Blake, and Melville, on down to Bob Dylan and Toni Morrison. Professor Potkay speaks to the microphone as though it were a lecture hall, often adding impromptu clarifications that come off as offhand asides. His speaking style is halting, with an erratic pace and tone that may put off listeners. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine