Programme
Communication about visionary experiences and visionary contents is a widespread phenomenon both, in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as well as in acient pagan cultures. The research group focuses on this phenomenon and seeks to explore rhetorical and narrative strategies that texts make use of in describing experiences and contents of prophetic vision. Among others the following texts and traditions may be of primary importance with regard to our research interest:
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prophetic traditions in the Hebrew Bible,
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apocalyptic traditions in ancient Judaism and the New Testament,
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descriptions of otherworldly journeys,
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accounts on visionary experiences in ancient pagan cultures.
With respect to methodology our main interest lays on the linguistic characteristics of representations of vision on the one hand, and on the way that these representations are capable of affecting their intended ancient audiences. In this regard our group analyses
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rhetorical and narratological features of visionary accounts,
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the implied impact that envisionment unfolds upon its hearers resp. readers,
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material and bodily aspects of communication about visionary experiences.
Keywords:
Prophecy, Vision, Envisionment, Rhetorical Criticism, Narrative Criticism, Implied Responses