ABSTRACT

Though the Hebrew Bible often reflects and constructs a world that privileges men, many of its narratives play extensively with the gender norms of the society in which they were written. Drawing from feminist, masculinity and queer studies, Gender-Play in the Hebrew Bible uses close literary analysis to argue that the writers of the Bible intentionally challenge gender norms in order to reveal the dangers of destabilizing societal and theological hierarchies that privilege men and masculinity. This book presents a fascinating argument about the construction and import of gender in the biblical narratives, and will be of great interest to academics in the fields of religion, theology, and Biblical studies as well as gender studies.

chapter |27 pages

Introduction: Biblical gender norms

chapter 1|19 pages

Eve and Adam

chapter 2|21 pages

Deborah, Barak, Yael, and Sisera

chapter 4|19 pages

Jezebel and Ahab

chapter 5|22 pages

The Shunammite and Elisha

chapter 6|25 pages

Rebecca and Isaac

chapter 7|25 pages

Jeremiah