Theological Computing

Bible cross-references Arc Visualisation

A number of computer visualisations explore the Bible. Not all of them are particularly attractive, but these three are among the best I’ve seen and reveal an aesthetic sensibility that is bordering on the sublime.

The Gospel Spectrum explores the convergence of technology and theology by examing how computational media can be applied to narratives using principles of data visualization and data-mining to deconstruct and then visually reconstruct the story of Jesus as presented in the Bible.

As the site says, rather admirably: “God is in the details.”

http://www.thirteensquares.com/gospelspectrum/

Visualising the Bible takes a similar approach, and one is reminded of Umberto Eco’s novel Foucault’s Pendulum which speculated on the problems associated with revealing God’s plan inside a computer.

http://www.chrisharrison.net/projects/bibleviz/index.html

Exegesis is another project which includes the Hebrew Bible and has a quaint running narrative, useful for exploring the text while working.

http://transition.turbulence.org/Works/exegesis/run.html

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