Date
5-2021
Department
School of Communication and the Arts
Degree
Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design (MFA)
Chair
Stacy Cannon
Keywords
Prophetic Books, Female Audience, Graphic Design, Women's Ministry, Christian Graphic Design
Disciplines
Art and Design | Graphic Design
Recommended Citation
Smith, Olivia Martin, "Visualizing a Woman’s Journey Through the Old Testament Prophetic Books: Improving Female Study Methods Through Visual Supplementation" (2021). Masters Theses. 743.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/743
Abstract
Christians are often less likely to read the Old Testament prophetic literature compared to other books in Scripture. This poses a problem within the Church for Biblical literacy and understanding Scripture as one complete narrative that points to Christ. The aim of this research was to discover what causes a struggle for Christian women understanding the prophetic literature, why Old Testament prophetic literature is important for women to study, and the best methods for communicating this information to a female audience. The following research questions were asked: 1. What is the standard perspective of an average Christian when studying Old Testament prophetic literature? 2. Why are the Old Testament prophetic books difficult to understand? 3. How does understanding the biblical definition of “prophet” assist in approaching prophetic literature with confidence? 4. Why does Old Testament prophetic literature matter to Christians under the New Covenant? 5. What resources already exist in teaching women Old Testament prophetic literature? Is there a gap in these resources that needs to be filled? 6. How does a resource best illuminate and explain a complex topic? 7. What makes content memorable and eye-catching to a female audience? After researching these questions through a literature review, visual analyses, and content analyses, a solution was created to enhance study methods for women who desire to read the prophetic books of the Old Testament. A handbook was designed, with the target audience of women in mind, to lead women through important things to know when approaching the more difficult prophetic books. Research revealed how the design of the handbook directly impacts cognition and study methods; therefore, the handbook was designed according to that research to make maximum impact. In conclusion, this handbook is a way to solve the problem of Christian women not reading the prophetic literature of the Old Testament.
