SUMMER SCHOOL- Art & Bible
SUMMER SCHOOL ART & BIBLE
France, Jun 14-25 2027
From Scripture to Image: A Summer School in the Loire Valley
Spend 10 days in the Loire Valley exploring the Bible through art, history, languages, and cultural heritage.
Based in Angers, one of France’s historic cities, the Art & Bible Summer School takes learning beyond the university classroom. Study the Book of Revelation in front of the monumental Apocalypse Tapestry at the Château d’Angers, explore medieval art and monastic culture at Fontevraud Abbey, and travel to Paris for a full-day study visit to the Louvre.
Taught entirely in English by specialists in Biblical Studies and Art History, the program brings texts and images into conversation. Through seminars, workshops, museum visits, and excursions, participants discover how biblical traditions have been transmitted, interpreted, and transformed into art across the centuries.
10 days | Jun 14-25 2027 | Angers & the Loire Valley | Taught in English | 6 ECTS | Accommodation available upon request
Program fee: € 2,600 | Application deadline: April 30, 2027
WHY CHOOSE THIS SUMMER SCHOOL?
Study masterpieces on site
Move from the classroom to the artwork itself. Encounter the Apocalypse Tapestry at the Château d’Angers, explore the artistic and monastic heritage of Fontevraud, and examine major collections during a study day at the Louvre.
Read the Bible through art
Discover how biblical narratives and ideas have been interpreted through manuscripts, painting, sculpture, tapestry, architecture, and modern art. Learn to move between text and image and to recognize visual interpretation as part of the history of biblical reception.
Encounter the languages behind the Bible
Take your first steps in Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek and discover how language, translation, and textual transmission shape interpretation. No previous knowledge of biblical languages is required.
Experience France beyond the classroom
Live and study in Angers, at the heart of the Loire Valley, while discovering some of France’s major cultural and historic sites. The program combines intensive academic study with the experience of living and learning in France.
By the end of the program, you will be able to: analyze major biblical texts in their historical contexts; interpret works of art as forms of biblical reception; understand the basic workings of Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek; visually recognize selected ancient alphabets and scripts; compare textual and visual interpretations of biblical narratives; and connect texts, objects, monuments, and historical settings.
Your program fee covers tuition and academic materials, weekday lunches, all scheduled academic visits and excursions, and transportation for program activities.
Niveau d'entrée
Type de formation
Niveau de sortie
Mention
Parcours
Spécialité
Reconnaissance
Alternance
Lieu de formation
Frais de scolarité
Options
Programme
Designed for university students and other participants interested in biblical studies, art history, religious studies, history, and European cultural heritage. No previous knowledge of biblical languages is required.
Good to know
Open to participants aged 18 and over
Taught entirely in English
No previous knowledge of biblical languages required
Interdisciplinary approach combining Biblical Studies, Art History, and cultural heritage
6 ECTS credits
Academic content
Each day includes approximately 5 hours of teaching delivered by specialists in art history and biblical studies:
- The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament: texts, contexts, and reception
- Biblical themes and figures in Western Art
- Intertextual readings of Scripture across Jewish and Christian traditions
- A visual introduction to Biblical Hebrew, Koine Greek, and other ancient alphabets and scripts (e.g., Aramaic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian)
- The role of images in theology and liturgy
- Art as a form of biblical interpretation
The course is structured around three key strands:
Biblical Foundations
- A comprehensive introduction to the structure and content of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
- An overview of the New Testament: Gospels, the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline Epistles, and the Book of Revelation
- A critical examination of the transmission, compilation, and historical interpretation of Scripture.
Religious Art and Iconography
- Central themes in Christian art: Genesis, Exodus, the Nativity, Passion, Resurrection, and Revelation
- Depictions of biblical figures: Abraham, Moses, Job, Daniel, Jonah, David, Christ, Mary.
- The Bible’s influence on medieval visual culture: from Illuminated manuscripts to monumental art (tapestries, sculpture)
- Theological significance and liturgical function of religious imagery
Biblical Languages – First Encounter
- Introduction to Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek and other Ancient Languages
- Exegetical reading of selected biblical passages (e.g., Genesis 1, Psalm 23, John 1, Revelation 21)
- Analyzing the role of language in shaping theological meaning and its implications in the process of translation
Schedule
▸ Day 1: Arrival and Orientation
Welcome session and evening guided tour of historic Angers.
▸ Day 2: The Hebrew Bible: Themes and Images
Introduction to key texts, figures, themes, and visual traditions of the Hebrew Bible.
▸ Day 3: The Hebrew Bible: Themes and Images (cont’d)
Exploring the interpretation and reception of biblical narratives across texts and images.
▸ Day 4: The Gospels and Acts in Text and Image
Study of Jesus and the early Christian movement through New Testament texts and their visual reception.
▸ Day 5: The Book of Revelation in Context: The Apocalypse Tapestry
In-situ study of the Book of Revelation and its medieval interpretation in front of the Apocalypse Tapestry at the Château d’Angers.
▸ Day 6: The Bible and Monastic Culture
Full-day excursion to Fontevraud Abbey and the Château de Saumur, exploring Scripture, monasticism, and medieval culture.
▸ Day 7: Writing, Scripture, and the Ancient World
Exploration of ancient writing practices, textual transmission, and the material cultures in which biblical texts emerged.
▸ Day 8: Ancient Writing and the Biblical World at the Louvre
Full-day study visit to the Louvre Museum, exploring writing, artefacts, and cultures of the ancient biblical world.
▸ Day 9: Biblical Reception and Modern Art
Exploring how biblical texts, figures, and themes have been reinterpreted in modern and contemporary art.
▸ Day 10: Program Wrap-Up
Final synthesis, discussion, and reflection on the relationships between biblical texts, history, and visual culture.
Dates and sequence of events may vary.
Pour quels profils ?
The Summer School welcomes undergraduate and graduate students in Theology, Religious Studies, Art History, Classics, Cultural Heritage, and related fields. It is also open to participants from other academic backgrounds with an interest in the Bible, art, and visual culture.
Good to know
- Open to participants aged 18 and over
- Taught entirely in English
- No previous knowledge of biblical languages required
- Interdisciplinary approach combining Biblical Studies, Art History, and cultural heritage
- 6 ECTS Credits
Coût de la formation
Program fees : € 2,600
Program fee includes:
- the full academic program and course materials
- excursion and visits scheduled excursions and visits
- weekday lunches, Monday to Friday
Participants should budget separately for:
- Accommodation, available upon request (additional charges apply)
- Transportation and local travel
- Visa and health insurance
- Optional weekend activities and personal expenses
- Meals other than weekday lunches