The story of Susanna and the Elders is one of the most interpreted and reproduced tales from the Apocrypha, and for good reason. In its compact narrative, it touches on attempted rape, female sexuality, abuse of power, punishment for the wicked, and voyeurism. The Good, the Bold, the Beautiful argues that the story of Susanna was written in the first century BCE, and Clanton provides a brief description of that century. He performs a narrative-rhetorical reading of Susanna and illustrates that the story uses sexual anxiety and desire to set up a moral dilemma for Susanna. That moral dilemma is resolved in two ways: Susanna's refusal to allow herself to be raped, and Daniel's intervention. Clanton argues that although the story has many mimetic features, it is the thematic function that is overriding, especially after Daniel's appearance. Put another way, the story's emphasis on Susanna, the Elders, and Daniel as "plausible people" is secondary to its stress on what those characters represent and the message it is relaying through those representations. Clanton analyzes chronologically selected aesthetic interpretations of the story found in the Renaissance. He shows that the prevailing artistic interpretation during the Renaissance focused on the mimetic, sexual aspects of the story because it deals with issues of patronage, and sex/gender that were current at the time. The Good, the Bold, the Beautiful argues that several Renaissance renderings provide counter readings that focus more on the value and themes in the story. These renderings provide models for readers to resist the sexually exploitative features of both the narrative and its interpretations. Clanton reflects on the need for the reader to resist potentially harmful interpretation, especially those that focus on the mimetic level of the story's rhetoric. >
Dan W. Clanton, Jr. holds a Ph.D. in Religious and Theological Studies from the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology, with an emphasis in Biblical Studies. His MA in Biblical Interpretation was awarded from Iliff, and he received a BA in Religion from Hendrix College. He has taught at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; the University of Denver; the Iliff School of Theology; and Arapahoe Community College. Beginning in August 2008, he is the Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Doane College.
His research interests include artistic, musical, and literary interpretations of biblical literature as well as the intersection between religion and culture. Along these lines, he has presented and published on topics such as the NBC drama "Law & Order"; the presentation of Hanukkah in such shows as "Friends" and "South Park"; the Jewish identities of modern musicians such as Matisyahu and the Hip Hop Hoodios; and portrayal of Jesus in modern American popular culture. He has served on the Editorial Board for the Society of Biblical Literature's online publication, the SBL Forum, where he has published a series of articles examining the reception of the Bible in graphic novels. His first book, "The Good, the Bold, and the Beautiful: The Story of Susanna and Its Renaissance Interpretations," was published in 2006 by T&T Clark. Clanton has also contributed extensively to a book published by the Society of Biblical Literature in November 2007 titled "Teaching the Bible through Popular Culture and the Arts." His new book--titled "Daring, Disreputable, and Devout: Interpreting the Hebrew Bible's Women in the Arts and Music"--focuses on aesthetic and scholarly interpretations of biblical women, and was published in 2009.
In addition to spending time with his family and reading comic books, he enjoys collecting and listening to classical, jazz, and Americana music, and watching far too much television.
