The Bible as Resonating Artefact: Performance and Materiality

Abstract

Materiality resonates in many ways, it shapes liturgical practices, roles and confessional identities. This empirical research focusses on questions about the materiality of biblical texts – in a broad sense – like books or PowerPoint slides used in services. How do preachers, listeners and other service participants interact with the materiality of the Bible and biblical texts? Which role does its materiality play for embodying different liturgical practices, like preaching, reading, listening and singing? How does it interact with bodies, artefacts and buildings? Further there are specific confessional aspects of Reformed and free church services. Which concepts of resonating materiality and performance strategies ground each specific liturgical understanding and preaching? How does old and new biblical materiality shape religious identity, and in which way emotions resonate with it? In this article, first findings based on empirical case studies are presented and related to a typology of biblical materialities, their performances and resonance.