Women in the Biblical World: A Survey of Old and New Testament Perspectives

by Elizabeth A. McCabe (Editor)

Overview

Volume 2 of Women in the Biblical World: A Survey of Old and New Testament Perspectives encompasses the latest research in feminist biblical scholarship. New angles of interpretation and fresh perspectives regarding often overlooked biblical women will be gained from the pages of this volume. This volume focuses on such women as Tamar, Deborah, Manoah's wife, Queen Vashti, and Job's wife. Attention is also given to socio-historical backgrounds lurking behind the biblical text (such as women in Greco-Roman education and syncretism in Ephesus), demonstrating how these backgrounds directly influenced the writings about women. Some emphasis on contemporary application is also stressed regarding problematic passages, such as 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. This multi-faceted approach to women in the Bible will prove to be invigorating, refreshing, and enlightening for all to read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761853879
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	07/07/2011
Pages:	134
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.18(h) x 0.33(d)

About the Author

Elizabeth A. McCabe earned an M.A. in Biblical Studies at Cincinnati Christian University with a dual concentration in Old Testament and New Testament. She is the editor of Volume 1 of Women in the Biblical World: A Survey of Old and New Testament Perspectives, as well as the author of An Examination of the Isis Cult with Preliminary Exploration into New Testament Studies.

Table of Contents

Foreword William L. Lyons ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgements xiii

About the Contributors xv

Abbreviations xix

1 A Liberating Look at Tamar in Genesis 38 Nathan E. Rutenbeck 1

2 Who Is Interpreting the Text? A Feminist Jewish Hermeneutic of Deborah Tammi J. Schneider 10

3 Manoah's Wife: Gender Inversion in a Patriarchal Birth Narrative Rob Fleenor 24

4 Defending Queen Vashti in Esther 1:10-12: What Her Attorney Might Say Elizabeth A. McCabe 35

5 A Clever Twist to a Classic Tale: A Fresh Perspective on Job's Wife in Job 2:9 Caitlin Norton 52

6 Hat or Hair in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 or Does It Matter? What Are Christian Women to Do? William R. Baker 66

7 Women in Greco-Roman Education and Its Implications for 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2 James Riley Estep 80

8 Prayer and Syncretism in 1 Timothy Frank Ritchel Ames J. David Miller 94

Editorial Reviews

The second volume of Women in the Biblical World: A Survey of Old and New Testament Perspectives is, once again, edited by Elizabeth A. McCabe. This volume contains eight collected essays, five of which deal with women in the Old Testament and three that address feminist issues in the New Testament....This book adopts the goals of the first volume, shedding light on the role of women in the biblical world, offering additional positive interpretations of passages that androcentric or misogynistic interpreters have used to condemn women, and enlightening readers regarding often overlooked or maligned female characters....These essays move the conversation forward in a positive manner, adding more to the necessary conversation of feminist biblical studies and shedding light on the some of the least- studied aspects of the field.

Review of Biblical Literature

There are few matters that, historically, have been overlooked as much as women's roles in the Bible. Volume 2 of Women in the Biblical World is therefore welcome, as its contributors bring hermeneutical and socio-historical perspectives to bear upon the biblical texts in manners that illuminate familiar stories and traditions in stimulating ways. This book will be essential reading for all interested in how the biblical text portrays women and what [this] means for contemporary society.

Chris Keith

This volume addresses head-on troublesome passages about women and investigates some of the more enigmatic female characters in the Bible, often challenging traditional readings and engaging feminist interpretations along the way. Written in conversation with a variety of interpretive perspectives, this volume will stand as engaging reading for those interested in biblical perspectives on women, and will prove itself as a useful tool for those who teach others about the place of women in the biblical world.

Lee A. Johnson

This anthology is unusual in that it contains essays on women in the biblical world that span both Old and New Testament perspectives. As such, it is a rare and welcome resource for courses that survey the roles and status of women as portrayed in the Christian Bible.

Mary Ann Beavis

She…presents a strong argument that prostatis should be understood in the context of leadership…. The diversity of this collection is a welcome feature. Articles span both testaments and cover topics that range from the much-discussed to lesser-traveled paths. The result is a volume that will have wide appeal at both scholarly and popular levels.

Catholic Biblical Quarterly

This is a fine collection of essays that brings together some of the best contemporary thinking and scholarship on interpretation of key biblical passages about women from both Testaments. Each chapter reviews faithfully the scholarship on its subject and advances the thinking on it. This is an excellent way to update on some of the latest in feminist biblical scholarship.

Carolyn 'siek

This is a fine collection of essays that brings together some of the best contemporary thinking and scholarship on interpretation of key biblical passages about women from both Testaments. Each chapter reviews faithfully the scholarship on its subject and advances the thinking on it. This is an excellent way to update on some of the latest in feminist biblical scholarship.

Carolyn Osiek