The appropriation by U.S.-American blacks of the Egyptian enslaved woman, Hagar, as she appears i... more The appropriation by U.S.-American blacks of the Egyptian enslaved woman, Hagar, as she appears in the book of Genesis, is epitomized in black art, literature, and cinema. Yet less familiar is the appropriation of Hagar by nineteenth-century, middle-class, white women novelists, who mostly lived during the antebellum Southern era. Their novels feature a dark, wild, female protagonist named Hagar who appears as a racially ambiguous woman. She is usually orphaned or abandoned, and she overcomes many obstacles and adversaries to fulfill her life’s purpose in the domestic sphere. Sometimes she is openly compared with the biblical Hagar, depicted as having African ancestry, and characterized as an untamed woman who is free of society’s gender constraints. Nineteenth-century domestic novels thus present stories about Hagar as a temporary escape for middle-class white women’s perceived enslavement to traditional gender expectations, as they experienced them in their individual lives. At the same time, the domestic novels disregard the experiences of nineteenth-century enslaved black women.
This essay considers the book of Jonah, the paradoxical figure for whom the book is named, its gl... more This essay considers the book of Jonah, the paradoxical figure for whom the book is named, its global narrative, themes and motifs, and contested issues. The article makes clear that while many readers believe that they know the story of Jonah, its storybook appearance belies its narrative complexity. Over the history of interpretation, the figure of Jonah son of Amittai has been regarded as both hero and antihero. Jonah is not called a prophet in the book. The book is written mostly in prose rather than poetry, and in contrast to other prophetic literature, it is a story about a prophet more than it is a prophetic text; thus, it could easily fit among the historical narratives or short stories in the Hebrew Bible. It remains a favorite among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, as well as and nonreligious audiences.
This essay considers the book of Jonah, the paradoxical figure for whom the book is named, its gl... more This essay considers the book of Jonah, the paradoxical figure for whom the book is named, its global narrative, themes and motifs, and contested issues. The article makes clear that while many readers believe that they know the story of Jonah, its storybook appearance belies its narrative complexity. Over the history of interpretation, the figure of Jonah son of Amittai has been regarded as both hero and antihero. Jonah is not called a prophet in the book. The book is written mostly in prose rather than poetry, and in contrast to other prophetic literature, it is a story about a prophet more than it is a prophetic text; thus, it could easily fit among the historical narratives or short stories in the Hebrew Bible. It remains a favorite among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, as well as and nonreligious audiences.
The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible, 2020
The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible brings together thirty-seven essen... more The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible brings together thirty-seven 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 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, oand the examination of scripture in light of trans women’s voices. The volume includes essays examining the Old Testament as recited in music, literature, film, and video games. In short, the book offers a vision for feminist biblical scholarship beyond the ...
The appropriation by U.S.-American blacks of the Egyptian enslaved woman, Hagar, as she appears i... more The appropriation by U.S.-American blacks of the Egyptian enslaved woman, Hagar, as she appears in the book of Genesis, is epitomized in black art, literature, and cinema. Yet less familiar is the appropriation of Hagar by nineteenth-century, middle-class, white women novelists, who mostly lived during the antebellum Southern era. Their novels feature a dark, wild, female protagonist named Hagar who appears as a racially ambiguous woman. She is usually orphaned or abandoned, and she overcomes many obstacles and adversaries to fulfill her life’s purpose in the domestic sphere. Sometimes she is openly compared with the biblical Hagar, depicted as having African ancestry, and characterized as an untamed woman who is free of society’s gender constraints. Nineteenth-century domestic novels thus present stories about Hagar as a temporary escape for middle-class white women’s perceived enslavement to traditional gender expectations, as they experienced them in their individual lives. At the same time, the domestic novels disregard the experiences of nineteenth-century enslaved black women.
This essay considers the book of Jonah, the paradoxical figure for whom the book is named, its gl... more This essay considers the book of Jonah, the paradoxical figure for whom the book is named, its global narrative, themes and motifs, and contested issues. The article makes clear that while many readers believe that they know the story of Jonah, its storybook appearance belies its narrative complexity. Over the history of interpretation, the figure of Jonah son of Amittai has been regarded as both hero and antihero. Jonah is not called a prophet in the book. The book is written mostly in prose rather than poetry, and in contrast to other prophetic literature, it is a story about a prophet more than it is a prophetic text; thus, it could easily fit among the historical narratives or short stories in the Hebrew Bible. It remains a favorite among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, as well as and nonreligious audiences.
This essay considers the book of Jonah, the paradoxical figure for whom the book is named, its gl... more This essay considers the book of Jonah, the paradoxical figure for whom the book is named, its global narrative, themes and motifs, and contested issues. The article makes clear that while many readers believe that they know the story of Jonah, its storybook appearance belies its narrative complexity. Over the history of interpretation, the figure of Jonah son of Amittai has been regarded as both hero and antihero. Jonah is not called a prophet in the book. The book is written mostly in prose rather than poetry, and in contrast to other prophetic literature, it is a story about a prophet more than it is a prophetic text; thus, it could easily fit among the historical narratives or short stories in the Hebrew Bible. It remains a favorite among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, as well as and nonreligious audiences.
The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible, 2020
The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible brings together thirty-seven essen... more The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible brings together thirty-seven 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 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, oand the examination of scripture in light of trans women’s voices. The volume includes essays examining the Old Testament as recited in music, literature, film, and video games. In short, the book offers a vision for feminist biblical scholarship beyond the ...
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