Biography
Amanda is a researcher at the intersection of Spirituality, Biblical Reception and Visual Art. Having initially studied Graphic Design before making a career change, Amanda went on to study Theology and Anthropology, followed by an MA in Biblical Studies from Heythrop College in London, and a PHD in Dublin City University.
Amanda lectures and supervises on the MA in Applied Spirituality at WIT. She has also taught on the MPhil Theology programme in the Loyola Institute, Trinity College Dublin, as well as designing and teaching modules on New Testament (Gospels and Acts, Paul's Letters), and the Bible and Art to both undergraduate and postgraduate students in Religious Studies and Theology at Dublin City University.
Amanda's research specialisation is Biblical Reception History with a particular focus on the New Testament and contemporary Visual Art. Her research interests include: Biblical Reception; Visual Exegesis; Multimodal Analysis; Semiotics, Hermeneutics; Spirituality and Biblical Reception; Female Readers and their reception of the Bible; Theology and the Visual Arts. Female characters in the Bible and their afterlives are another dimension of her research and teaching. Amanda has published on the reception of the Bible in: 21st century lectionaries; contemporary Graphic Design; the art of Marc Chagall; Manga Bibles; and, Urban and Street Art.
Specialties: Biblical Reception History, Bible and Art, Bible and Deign, Social Semiotics, History of Art and Design.
Amanda has professional experience as a lecturer in the subjects of Spirituality, Theology, and Biblical Studies in Waterford Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University and Villanova University. She has been a research fellow in Trinity College, Dublin. Amanda has served for many years on the Executive Committee of the Irish Biblical Association. She has worked outside of the academy in the arena of social justice and international development. As a professional graphic designer, she has worked creatively in advertising agencies, design studios and publishing houses in South Africa, the UK, and Ireland.
Monograph:
Drawn to the Word: The Bible and Graphic Design. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature Press, 2021.
Peer-reviewed Articles:
Bible Journaling as a Spiritual Aid in Addiction Recovery. Religions. 2021; 12(11):965.
https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12110965
Mapping the (Digital) Terrain: Biblical Texts in Digital Contexts. (Co-authored with Bradford A. Anderson). Postscripts: The Journal of Sacred Texts, Cultural Histories, and Contemporary Contexts, 2021: 12(1), 5–19.
Special Issue: Sacred Texts and Digital Culture (Co-edited with Bradford A. Anderson)
https://doi.org/10.1558/post.20354
Banished Vashti: A Visual Biblical Commentary on Esther 1. (2020)
The Visual Commentary on Scripture: https://thevcs.org/banished-vashti
The Reception of King David in the Art of Marc Chagall.
PIBA (Proceedings of the Irish Biblical Association) 40 (2018).
Manga Bibles and Their Treatment of Female Characters in the Book of Judges. Biblical Reception 1 (2012): 347-365.
Peer-reviewed Book Chapters:
Be Your Own Scribe: Bible Journalling and the New Illuminators of the Densely-Printed Page. Pages 153-178 in From Scrolls to Scrolling: Sacred Texts, Materiality, and Dynamic Media Cultures. Edited by Bradford A. Anderson. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110634440-008
The Book of Kells and the Visual Identity of Ireland. Pages 295-312 in The Bible in Ireland: A Social and Cultural History. Edited by Bradford A. Anderson and Jonathan Kearney. London: Bloomsbury, 2018.
The Rapture of Art and the Art of Rapture: Considering Ernest Pignon-Ernest’s Installation Extases and the Evocation of Ecstasy. Pp 257-286 in Mysticism in the French Tradition: Eruptions from France. Edited by Louise Nelstrop and Bradley B. Onishi. Surrey: Ashgate, 2016.
Streetwise About the Bible: Unexpected Allusions (to the Text) in Unusual Places. Pages 95-117 in Rethinking Biblical Literacy. Edited by Katie B. Edwards. Edinburgh: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015.