Odd women and even odder men

Odd women and even odder men – John Bell: 27th September – 3rd October

Infanticide encouraged by a bald man, a king humiliated by a female protestor, a poem about trees to undermine tyranny, and wild honey past its sell-by date. It’s all in the Bible, where minor figures become heroes and the big noises are silenced. We explore hidden gems and unlikely saviours. 

In early decades, the News of the World advertised itself with the strap-line ‘All human life is here’. The same could or should be said of the Bible, but for many people of faith and on the fringes of faith, it is a largely unexplored book. We know who the names of the ‘greats’ -Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Paul. But the lesser luminaries have much to offer, especially in the Hebrew Scriptures which abound in mini-biographies which are seldom explored. 

John Bell has had a long and deep fascination with the Bible, especially the people and incidents which do not appear in the Sunday readings. These lesser known texts humanise the scriptures and turn black and white into technicolour. And many of these will be up for exploration in this week at Iona Abbey.

Programme leader

John Bell is an ordained minister, a member of the Iona Community and a writer and occasional broadcaster. He is a much-loved contributor at Greenbelt Festival. He teaches and lectures worldwide on issues of faith, social justice, music and liturgy.

Costs

6 Nights: £792 per adult, £396 for reduced rate – see our programme page for more information.