The Novelist’s Bible: How Modernist Writers Reimagined Jesus’s Life and Death — and What This Means for Religion Today

The Bible is rich with stories, and few have proved more enduring or provocative than the story of Jesus’s life and death. For generations, novelists have returned to this narrative — not simply to retell it, but to question, reinterpret, and explore its meaning for modern times.

In this talk, Jamie Callison will examine how modernist writers such as D. H. Lawrence and Nobel laureate J. M. Coetzee have reimagined the Jesus story. He will consider how these powerful literary responses illuminate the Bible’s ongoing influence in today’s secular and pluralistic world.

Jamie Callison is Professor of English Literature at the University of Agder. His recent book explores the deep and complex relationship between religion and literature. More about his work can be found at www.modernismandreligion.com.

This event is part of Kapittel – Stavanger International Festival for Literature and Freedom of Expression, taking place 17–21 September 2025.
Programme and tickets: www.kapittel.no