Feminist analysis of the Bible offers clues to the beginnings of gender bias in Western culture. In this book, the essays range from feminist strategies for understanding the social world of the time of the production of the Hebrew Bible to interpretations of key female literary figures such as Ruth, Sarah, Judith, Esther, Rachel, and Leah.

This book introduces readers to the diverse field of feminist studies on the Hebrew Bible. Not organized as a traditional introduction to the "Old Testament," the manuscript does not follow a biblical book-by-book structure, but provides an introductory survey of the history and issues as they relate to feminist readings and readers of the Hebrew Bible. Accordingly, feminist scholars of the Bible, their career struggles, and biblical texts, characters, and themes stand in the forefront of this introduction. The volume is biased toward "Western" feminist scholarship because of the historical developments of feminist scholarship in general and biblical studies in particular. Yet, the chapters also include African, Asian, and Latin American perspectives on feminist studies of the Hebrew Bible. In short, the book offers an overview on the historical, social, and academic developments of reading the Hebrew Bible as the "Women's Hebrew Bible."

This collection of revised and new essays explores Jewish women's history. Topics include portrayals of women in the Hebrew Bible, the image and status of women in the diaspora world of late antiquity, and Jewish women in the Middle Ages.

The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible brings together 37 essential essays written by leading international scholars, examining crucial points of analysis within the field of feminist Hebrew Bible studies. Organized into four major areas - globalization, neoliberalism, media, and intersectionality - the essays collectively provide vibrant, relevant, and innovative contributions to the field. The topics of analysis focus heavily on gender and queer identity, with essays touching on African, Korean, and European feminist hermeneutics, womanist and interreligious readings, ecofeminist and animal biblical studies, migration biblical studies, the role of gender binary voices in evangelical-egalitarian approaches, and the examination of scripture in light of trans women's voices. The volume also includes essays examining the Old Testament as recited in music, literature, film, and video games. The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible charts a culturally, hermeneutically, and exegetically cutting-edge path for the ongoing development of biblical studies grounded in feminist, womanist, gender, and queer perspectives.

In the critically acclaimed best-seller,Women's Bible Commentary, an outstanding group of women scholars introduced and summarized each book of the Bible and commented on those sections of each book that have particular relevence to women, focusing on female charecters, symbols, life situations such as marriage and family, the legal status of women, and religious principles that affect relationships of women and men. Now, this expanded edition provides similar insights on the Apocrypha, presenting a significant view of the lives and religious experiences of women as well as attitudes toward women in the Second Temple period. This expanded edition sets a new standard for women's and biblical studies.

The Women's Bible Commentary gathers the best feminist scholars in the field today to produce a commentary on every book of the Bible, including the apocryphal books, with additional articles on the reception history of biblical women, feminist critical method, and women's religious life in ancient Israel and the early Church. The commentary explores the ways in which women and other marginalized people are portrayed in the Bible, and raises questions about gender roles, sexuality, political power, and family life, while challenging long-held assumptions about how biblical texts should be read and appropriated for today. 'With The Women's Bible Commentary, careful and critical feminist biblical interpretation is made accessible for preaching, study groups, and seminary courses.' Professor Letty M. Russell, Yale University

Here is a comprehensive, one-volume commentary on what the Bible really says about women. In this well-documented topical review, every positive biblical reference about women is quoted in full, set in context, and provided with a brief exposition. Over 350 specific topics are examined.

The next installment in the critically praised lectionary series that focuses on women's stories. In this second volume of the three-volume Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, widely praised womanist bible scholar and priest Wil Gafney selects scripture readings that emphasize women's stories. Focusing especially on the Gospel of Mark, Year B of A Women's Lectionary features Gafney's fresh, inclusive, and thought-provoking translations of every reading, alongside commentary on each reading. Designed for liturgical use or scriptural study, this resource offers a new perspective on the Bible and the liturgical year. "Gafney's paradigm-shifting scholarship will influence biblical preaching and teaching for generations to come." --National Catholic Reporter

The final installment in the critically acclaimed lectionary series that focuses on women's stories. In this third volume of a three-volume lectionary, widely praised womanist bible scholar and priest Wilda Gafney selects scripture readings that emphasize women's stories. Focusing especially on the Gospel of Luke, Year C of A Women's Lectionary features Gafney's fresh, inclusive, and thought-provoking translations of every reading, alongside commentary on each reading. Designed for liturgical use or scriptural study, this resource offers a new perspective on the Bible and the liturgical year. “Gafney's paradigm-shifting scholarship will influence biblical preaching and teaching for generations to come." —National Catholic Reporter

In this volume, Richard Hiers challenges the popular assumption that the Bible has a low view of women and that biblical law either ignores women or requires them to be subject and subservient to men. He does so by identifying and carefully examining hundreds of biblical texts and allowing them to speak for themselves. Among the findings: - that biblical tradition generally represents women positively, as strong and independent persons; - that no text represents wives as subject to their husbands and that no biblical law requires such subjection; - that biblical laws provide many protections for women's rights and interests--in several instances, rights equal to those enjoyed by men. The book focuses particularly on the Old Testament and Old Testament law, and argues that Old Testament laws and their underlying values provide important resources for Christian ethics and social policy today.