Margaret D. Kamitsuka
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195311624
- eISBN:
- 9780199785643
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195311624.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Although retrieving women's experience textually and ethnographically is pivotal for feminist theology, problematic assumptions are at work in the way feminist theologians undertake this task. Using ...
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Although retrieving women's experience textually and ethnographically is pivotal for feminist theology, problematic assumptions are at work in the way feminist theologians undertake this task. Using feminist theological readings of Alice Walker's The Color Purple and the biblical story of Sarah and Hagar, this chapter illustrates how some attempts to retrieve women's experience textually actually result in eliding racial difference, silencing sexuality, and obscuring the nuances of women's agency and resistance practices. This chapter also discusses how some feminist scholars (e.g., mujerista theologian Ada María Isasi-Díaz) are using ethnographic methods in order to find source material for theological reflection and to give voice to women in marginalized communities. The chapter addresses conflicts that have emerged regarding whether one can retrieve the standpoint of an oppressed community of women, unmediated by the feminist theologian's own agendas.Less
Although retrieving women's experience textually and ethnographically is pivotal for feminist theology, problematic assumptions are at work in the way feminist theologians undertake this task. Using feminist theological readings of Alice Walker's The Color Purple and the biblical story of Sarah and Hagar, this chapter illustrates how some attempts to retrieve women's experience textually actually result in eliding racial difference, silencing sexuality, and obscuring the nuances of women's agency and resistance practices. This chapter also discusses how some feminist scholars (e.g., mujerista theologian Ada María Isasi-Díaz) are using ethnographic methods in order to find source material for theological reflection and to give voice to women in marginalized communities. The chapter addresses conflicts that have emerged regarding whether one can retrieve the standpoint of an oppressed community of women, unmediated by the feminist theologian's own agendas.
John L. Thompson
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195137361
- eISBN:
- 9780199834730
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195137361.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Passages in the Old Testament that tell of violence against women have received intense scrutiny from feminist biblical critics, who have also decried the way these women's terrifying stories have ...
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Passages in the Old Testament that tell of violence against women have received intense scrutiny from feminist biblical critics, who have also decried the way these women's terrifying stories have been neglected or discounted over the centuries. But how did these women and their stories really fare at the hands of traditional, “precritical” interpreters? This book examines scores of biblical commentaries from the Judeo‐Christian tradition, ranging from Philo and patristic authors, through medieval and rabbinic interpreters, to the Protestant Reformers and other commentators of the sixteenth century. Specific narratives examined include the story of the exile of Hagar (Genesis 16 and 21, Galatians 4), the sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11), the gang rape of the Levite's concubine (Judges 19–21), and Lot's offer of his daughters to the men of Sodom (Genesis 19). A detailed examination of the history of interpretation sets forth the diverse agendas that these biblical stories served and makes clear that many precritical interpreters struggled intensely with these texts, with the injury to these women, and even with the apparent divine cruelty that allowed such tragic outcomes. The book concludes that these stories and these women were by no means neglected by premodern biblical commentators, and that there is a remarkable coincidence of interest shared by feminist interpreters and their traditional, precritical counterparts.Less
Passages in the Old Testament that tell of violence against women have received intense scrutiny from feminist biblical critics, who have also decried the way these women's terrifying stories have been neglected or discounted over the centuries. But how did these women and their stories really fare at the hands of traditional, “precritical” interpreters? This book examines scores of biblical commentaries from the Judeo‐Christian tradition, ranging from Philo and patristic authors, through medieval and rabbinic interpreters, to the Protestant Reformers and other commentators of the sixteenth century. Specific narratives examined include the story of the exile of Hagar (Genesis 16 and 21, Galatians 4), the sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11), the gang rape of the Levite's concubine (Judges 19–21), and Lot's offer of his daughters to the men of Sodom (Genesis 19). A detailed examination of the history of interpretation sets forth the diverse agendas that these biblical stories served and makes clear that many precritical interpreters struggled intensely with these texts, with the injury to these women, and even with the apparent divine cruelty that allowed such tragic outcomes. The book concludes that these stories and these women were by no means neglected by premodern biblical commentators, and that there is a remarkable coincidence of interest shared by feminist interpreters and their traditional, precritical counterparts.
John L. Thompson
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195137361
- eISBN:
- 9780199834730
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195137361.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Hagar has been remembered by feminist biblical critics as the distinguished recipient of divine rescues and visions, but also as Sarah's hapless surrogate and Abraham's abandoned concubine. Although ...
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Hagar has been remembered by feminist biblical critics as the distinguished recipient of divine rescues and visions, but also as Sarah's hapless surrogate and Abraham's abandoned concubine. Although the allegorical disparagement of Hagar in Galatians 4 might be expected to prejudice the way early Christian readers portrayed her, patristic and early medieval readings transformed the allegorical Hagar by describing her more explicitly and more sympathetically in terms of the same “historical” details of Genesis 16 and 21 that are often noticed by feminist readers. Later medieval and rabbinic accounts focused increasingly on the ethical problems of the text, so that Reformation commentators – transcending their regular use of gender stereotypes – displayed an intense and sometimes even passionate interest in Hagar's sufferings.Less
Hagar has been remembered by feminist biblical critics as the distinguished recipient of divine rescues and visions, but also as Sarah's hapless surrogate and Abraham's abandoned concubine. Although the allegorical disparagement of Hagar in Galatians 4 might be expected to prejudice the way early Christian readers portrayed her, patristic and early medieval readings transformed the allegorical Hagar by describing her more explicitly and more sympathetically in terms of the same “historical” details of Genesis 16 and 21 that are often noticed by feminist readers. Later medieval and rabbinic accounts focused increasingly on the ethical problems of the text, so that Reformation commentators – transcending their regular use of gender stereotypes – displayed an intense and sometimes even passionate interest in Hagar's sufferings.
Thomas L. Brodie
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195138368
- eISBN:
- 9780199834037
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195138368.003.0024
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
In Genesis 16, the beautiful barren Sarai finally releases what is inside her – a confused bitterness that strikes at God, Abram, and her slavegirl, Hagar. Her proposal that Abram impregnate Hagar ...
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In Genesis 16, the beautiful barren Sarai finally releases what is inside her – a confused bitterness that strikes at God, Abram, and her slavegirl, Hagar. Her proposal that Abram impregnate Hagar causes tension between the two women and she drives the foreign slavegirl away. However, the Lord intervenes and brings back the foreign slavegirl, and she bears Abram a son, Ishmael. In Genesis 17, Ishmael is old enough to be circumcised; a circumcision linked to a covenant that includes foreigners (foreign slaves) and that promises new life for Sarai. Together, Genesis 16 and 17 give the concept of covenant a new depth and new inclusiveness. They also give Abram and Sarai new names – Abraham and Sarah.Less
In Genesis 16, the beautiful barren Sarai finally releases what is inside her – a confused bitterness that strikes at God, Abram, and her slavegirl, Hagar. Her proposal that Abram impregnate Hagar causes tension between the two women and she drives the foreign slavegirl away. However, the Lord intervenes and brings back the foreign slavegirl, and she bears Abram a son, Ishmael. In Genesis 17, Ishmael is old enough to be circumcised; a circumcision linked to a covenant that includes foreigners (foreign slaves) and that promises new life for Sarai. Together, Genesis 16 and 17 give the concept of covenant a new depth and new inclusiveness. They also give Abram and Sarai new names – Abraham and Sarah.
James K. Hoffmeier
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195155464
- eISBN:
- 9780199835652
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/0195155467.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
A segment of recent scholarship maintains that the Exodus narratives are either mythological or are complete fiction. These views are challenged by a detailed investigation of the geographical names ...
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A segment of recent scholarship maintains that the Exodus narratives are either mythological or are complete fiction. These views are challenged by a detailed investigation of the geographical names used in the book of Exodus (e.g., Rameses, Pithom, Succoth, Etham). After establishing that these toponyms are all attested in Egyptian written sources of the second half of the 2nd century B.C., the locations of the sites are pursued in the archaeological record, namely, San el-Hagar, Qantir, Tell Retabeh, and Tell el-Maskhuta.Less
A segment of recent scholarship maintains that the Exodus narratives are either mythological or are complete fiction. These views are challenged by a detailed investigation of the geographical names used in the book of Exodus (e.g., Rameses, Pithom, Succoth, Etham). After establishing that these toponyms are all attested in Egyptian written sources of the second half of the 2nd century B.C., the locations of the sites are pursued in the archaeological record, namely, San el-Hagar, Qantir, Tell Retabeh, and Tell el-Maskhuta.
Ekaterina E. Kozlova
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- June 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198796879
- eISBN:
- 9780191838569
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198796879.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This book explores the stories of biblical mothers who were placed at key junctures in Israel’s history to renegotiate the destinies not only of their own children, dead or lost, but also those of ...
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This book explores the stories of biblical mothers who were placed at key junctures in Israel’s history to renegotiate the destinies not only of their own children, dead or lost, but also those of larger communities, i.e. family lines, ethnic groups, or entire nations. Since ‘rites in general are a context for the creation and transformation of social order’, these women used the circumstance of child loss as a platform for a kind of grief-driven socio-political activism. As maternal bereavement is generally understood as the most intense of all types of loss and was seen as archetypal of all mourning in the ancient Near East, Israelite communities in crisis deemed sorrowing motherhood as a potent agent in bringing about their own survival and resurgence back to normalcy. The book considers (1) modern examples of socio-political engagement among women that stems from child loss; (2) a survey of recent grief studies that identify maternal grief as the most intense and the most enduring among other types of bereavement; and (3) an overview of ancient Near Eastern cultures that viewed maternal grief as paradigmatic of all mourning and used ritual actions performed by mothers in contexts of large-scale catastrophes as mechanisms for dealing with a collective trauma. Against this background, the book discusses Hagar (Gen. 21), Rizpah (2 Sam. 21), the Tekoite (2 Sam. 14), and Rachel (Jer. 31), all of whom perform rites for their dying or dead children and exhibit a form of advocacy for society at large.Less
This book explores the stories of biblical mothers who were placed at key junctures in Israel’s history to renegotiate the destinies not only of their own children, dead or lost, but also those of larger communities, i.e. family lines, ethnic groups, or entire nations. Since ‘rites in general are a context for the creation and transformation of social order’, these women used the circumstance of child loss as a platform for a kind of grief-driven socio-political activism. As maternal bereavement is generally understood as the most intense of all types of loss and was seen as archetypal of all mourning in the ancient Near East, Israelite communities in crisis deemed sorrowing motherhood as a potent agent in bringing about their own survival and resurgence back to normalcy. The book considers (1) modern examples of socio-political engagement among women that stems from child loss; (2) a survey of recent grief studies that identify maternal grief as the most intense and the most enduring among other types of bereavement; and (3) an overview of ancient Near Eastern cultures that viewed maternal grief as paradigmatic of all mourning and used ritual actions performed by mothers in contexts of large-scale catastrophes as mechanisms for dealing with a collective trauma. Against this background, the book discusses Hagar (Gen. 21), Rizpah (2 Sam. 21), the Tekoite (2 Sam. 14), and Rachel (Jer. 31), all of whom perform rites for their dying or dead children and exhibit a form of advocacy for society at large.
Fergus Millar
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807830307
- eISBN:
- 9781469603216
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807876657_millar.20
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This chapter explores the question of the genealogy and religious affiliation of Arabs in Josephus's retelling of the story of Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael in the Antiquities. The legendary common ...
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This chapter explores the question of the genealogy and religious affiliation of Arabs in Josephus's retelling of the story of Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael in the Antiquities. The legendary common genealogy of the Arabs was supplied from written Jewish tradition by Josephus, who saw in them the descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, thereby making them legitimate heirs to Jewish monotheism. This conception of a common descent and common source of religious observances between Jews and Arabs was original to Josephus alone.Less
This chapter explores the question of the genealogy and religious affiliation of Arabs in Josephus's retelling of the story of Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael in the Antiquities. The legendary common genealogy of the Arabs was supplied from written Jewish tradition by Josephus, who saw in them the descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, thereby making them legitimate heirs to Jewish monotheism. This conception of a common descent and common source of religious observances between Jews and Arabs was original to Josephus alone.
Holly Jackson
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199317042
- eISBN:
- 9780199369256
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199317042.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, American, 19th Century Literature, Women's Literature
This chapter examines Pauline Hopkins’s verbatim reproduction of the Long Bridge narrative from William Wells Brown’s Clotel (which, as Chapter 2 reveals, was already a verbatim reproduction of a ...
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This chapter examines Pauline Hopkins’s verbatim reproduction of the Long Bridge narrative from William Wells Brown’s Clotel (which, as Chapter 2 reveals, was already a verbatim reproduction of a prior source) in her first serialized novel, Hagar’s Daughter (1901). Although this appropriation itself serves as a bridge uniting antebellum and fin-de-siècle African American literature, Hopkins utilizes this duplication as a formal strategy of stasis and regression that I describe as textual atavism. African American writers of the nadir like Hopkins and Charles Chesnutt engage with socioscientific discourses of black atavism to indict white savagery as the barrier to black political evolution. They expose the family’s institutional role not simply as a metaphor for the nation but also as the mechanism for the reproduction of its unequal social relations, formulating a genealogical theory of American racism.Less
This chapter examines Pauline Hopkins’s verbatim reproduction of the Long Bridge narrative from William Wells Brown’s Clotel (which, as Chapter 2 reveals, was already a verbatim reproduction of a prior source) in her first serialized novel, Hagar’s Daughter (1901). Although this appropriation itself serves as a bridge uniting antebellum and fin-de-siècle African American literature, Hopkins utilizes this duplication as a formal strategy of stasis and regression that I describe as textual atavism. African American writers of the nadir like Hopkins and Charles Chesnutt engage with socioscientific discourses of black atavism to indict white savagery as the barrier to black political evolution. They expose the family’s institutional role not simply as a metaphor for the nation but also as the mechanism for the reproduction of its unequal social relations, formulating a genealogical theory of American racism.
Yvonne Sherwood
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199645534
- eISBN:
- 9780191755842
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199645534.003.0024
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Religious Studies
This chapter seeks to engage with Old Testament ethics, a perennial interest of John Barton’s, by looking at the problem of overcrowding and doubling in the book of Genesis. It looks to origins, ...
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This chapter seeks to engage with Old Testament ethics, a perennial interest of John Barton’s, by looking at the problem of overcrowding and doubling in the book of Genesis. It looks to origins, geneses, as a point of purity, simplicity, oneness—but Israel’s origin story is perversely non-autochthonous. It seems stubbornly committed to keeping others in the archive even as, in concrete terms, they are displaced. Why does every eponymous ancestor of Israel have to have a shadow side, another brother or ghost family with whom something must be done in order to make space? After all, writing offers far more effective means of obliterating and writing out than the curious paradox, practiced even in the case of the arch-enemy Abimelek, of writing/recording in order to remember to forget. (Exod. 17:14-16; cf. Deut. 25:19) The cases of Hagar/Ishmael and Esau clearly develop beyond the structuralist/mythical binary of favoured/unfavoured to create sites of rival empathy and self-accusation. The effect result is a strange story of Israel that is not-one, unfocused, wriggling uncomfortably, always a little bit outside itself. In terms of methodology, this chapter uses literary criticism and also looks at literary criticism as historical criticism’s younger brother (antagonist and double). It draws on Erich Auerbach’s observation that Genesis is split in more fundamental ways than the documentary hypothesis conveys. It also draws (lightly) on insights from Derrida on the archive and Assmann on cultural memory, bringing these insights to bear on the question of ethics.Less
This chapter seeks to engage with Old Testament ethics, a perennial interest of John Barton’s, by looking at the problem of overcrowding and doubling in the book of Genesis. It looks to origins, geneses, as a point of purity, simplicity, oneness—but Israel’s origin story is perversely non-autochthonous. It seems stubbornly committed to keeping others in the archive even as, in concrete terms, they are displaced. Why does every eponymous ancestor of Israel have to have a shadow side, another brother or ghost family with whom something must be done in order to make space? After all, writing offers far more effective means of obliterating and writing out than the curious paradox, practiced even in the case of the arch-enemy Abimelek, of writing/recording in order to remember to forget. (Exod. 17:14-16; cf. Deut. 25:19) The cases of Hagar/Ishmael and Esau clearly develop beyond the structuralist/mythical binary of favoured/unfavoured to create sites of rival empathy and self-accusation. The effect result is a strange story of Israel that is not-one, unfocused, wriggling uncomfortably, always a little bit outside itself. In terms of methodology, this chapter uses literary criticism and also looks at literary criticism as historical criticism’s younger brother (antagonist and double). It draws on Erich Auerbach’s observation that Genesis is split in more fundamental ways than the documentary hypothesis conveys. It also draws (lightly) on insights from Derrida on the archive and Assmann on cultural memory, bringing these insights to bear on the question of ethics.
Jewelnel Davis
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300100815
- eISBN:
- 9780300128178
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300100815.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter reflects upon the importance of hearing the story of women as part of the common life of a community of faith. It focuses particularly on Hagar, a woman able to discern and name the God ...
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This chapter reflects upon the importance of hearing the story of women as part of the common life of a community of faith. It focuses particularly on Hagar, a woman able to discern and name the God of Israel, a stellar witness to a faith that is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, the one who bore the first son of Abraham, who is not usually named among the most worthy witnesses of faith. Hagar, an Egyptian woman, an African woman, a slave, must be a part of the litany—a part of the story if faith is to be understood, if history is to be complete, if truth is to be told.Less
This chapter reflects upon the importance of hearing the story of women as part of the common life of a community of faith. It focuses particularly on Hagar, a woman able to discern and name the God of Israel, a stellar witness to a faith that is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, the one who bore the first son of Abraham, who is not usually named among the most worthy witnesses of faith. Hagar, an Egyptian woman, an African woman, a slave, must be a part of the litany—a part of the story if faith is to be understood, if history is to be complete, if truth is to be told.
Ekaterina E. Kozlova
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- June 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198796879
- eISBN:
- 9780191838569
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198796879.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This chapter focuses on Hagar and her mourning in the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21). Although Gen. 21:14–21 does not contain a case of child death proper, a few lexemes utilized in it represent ...
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This chapter focuses on Hagar and her mourning in the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21). Although Gen. 21:14–21 does not contain a case of child death proper, a few lexemes utilized in it represent Ishmael’s endangerment as an instance of dishonourable ejection from the family and a subsequent demise in the wilderness. This chapter explores how the redactor of Genesis portrays Hagar in the fashion of ancient Near Eastern weeping (mother) goddesses and creates a ritual drama with a clear ‘death–resurrection’ pattern. Given the foundational nature of patriarchal cycles and Hagar’s ancestral status within them (Gen. 16:10, 21:13, 18, 25:13–18), the editor uses Hagar’s actions to solicit God’s attention and to secure his patronage not only for Ishmael, but for the entire line of his descendants.Less
This chapter focuses on Hagar and her mourning in the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21). Although Gen. 21:14–21 does not contain a case of child death proper, a few lexemes utilized in it represent Ishmael’s endangerment as an instance of dishonourable ejection from the family and a subsequent demise in the wilderness. This chapter explores how the redactor of Genesis portrays Hagar in the fashion of ancient Near Eastern weeping (mother) goddesses and creates a ritual drama with a clear ‘death–resurrection’ pattern. Given the foundational nature of patriarchal cycles and Hagar’s ancestral status within them (Gen. 16:10, 21:13, 18, 25:13–18), the editor uses Hagar’s actions to solicit God’s attention and to secure his patronage not only for Ishmael, but for the entire line of his descendants.
J. Andrew Dearman
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190246488
- eISBN:
- 9780190246525
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190246488.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Two narratives in the book of Genesis (chapters 16, 38) are presented as explanations of ancient Israelite identity. Both accounts share a dilemma regarding the lack of an heir to continue the family ...
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Two narratives in the book of Genesis (chapters 16, 38) are presented as explanations of ancient Israelite identity. Both accounts share a dilemma regarding the lack of an heir to continue the family line, first of Abraham and Sarah, and then of their descendant Judah. An exploration of their plots and points of view shows that the two chapters explain to later readers how the nation of Israel emerged from family and tribal roots as God guided the historical process. The concerns of both narratives are set in the larger context of the book of Genesis and the rest of the books in the Primary History.Less
Two narratives in the book of Genesis (chapters 16, 38) are presented as explanations of ancient Israelite identity. Both accounts share a dilemma regarding the lack of an heir to continue the family line, first of Abraham and Sarah, and then of their descendant Judah. An exploration of their plots and points of view shows that the two chapters explain to later readers how the nation of Israel emerged from family and tribal roots as God guided the historical process. The concerns of both narratives are set in the larger context of the book of Genesis and the rest of the books in the Primary History.
Shadaab Rahemtulla
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- March 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198796480
- eISBN:
- 9780191837753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198796480.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter explores the Qur’anic commentary of the African American intellectual Amina Wadud. After providing some historical and biographical background, it unpacks her interpretive method. Like ...
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This chapter explores the Qur’anic commentary of the African American intellectual Amina Wadud. After providing some historical and biographical background, it unpacks her interpretive method. Like Esack and Engineer, the Qur’an is the primary textual source of Wadud’s Islamic discourse. However, this chapter argues that while Esack’s method is squarely dialectical, based on praxis, Wadud’s is more linear in character, in which liberating interpretations are applied to contexts of oppression. After providing a critique of her discourse on religious authority, the chapter provides an in-depth analysis of her gender egalitarian reading of the Qur’an, engaging issues such as the origins of humankind, polygamy, and women’s leadership. Here, the dual paradigms of tawhid (monotheism) and khilafa (human trusteeship) play a central role. The chapter ends by unearthing the multi-faceted nature of Wadud’s understanding of oppression—an acutely layered experience embodied in the figure of Hagar.Less
This chapter explores the Qur’anic commentary of the African American intellectual Amina Wadud. After providing some historical and biographical background, it unpacks her interpretive method. Like Esack and Engineer, the Qur’an is the primary textual source of Wadud’s Islamic discourse. However, this chapter argues that while Esack’s method is squarely dialectical, based on praxis, Wadud’s is more linear in character, in which liberating interpretations are applied to contexts of oppression. After providing a critique of her discourse on religious authority, the chapter provides an in-depth analysis of her gender egalitarian reading of the Qur’an, engaging issues such as the origins of humankind, polygamy, and women’s leadership. Here, the dual paradigms of tawhid (monotheism) and khilafa (human trusteeship) play a central role. The chapter ends by unearthing the multi-faceted nature of Wadud’s understanding of oppression—an acutely layered experience embodied in the figure of Hagar.
J. Andrew Dearman
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190246488
- eISBN:
- 9780190246525
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190246488.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
Reception history provides examples of how characters in Old Testament narratives are interpreted in the New Testament, post-biblical Judaism, and Islam. The examples provided are drawn from those ...
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Reception history provides examples of how characters in Old Testament narratives are interpreted in the New Testament, post-biblical Judaism, and Islam. The examples provided are drawn from those discussed in previous chapters and include Abraham, Isaac, Hagar, Ishmael, Ruth, Boaz, and Orpah. Various communities of faith have interpreted their lives in light of these canonical characters. Historically these communities of faith made the OT narratives not only formative for their identity, but often the stories became classical texts for the larger communities in which they lived. The chapter concludes with the question of how modern, secular readings of these canonical characters and stories should proceed, given the increasing cultural distance between past and present.Less
Reception history provides examples of how characters in Old Testament narratives are interpreted in the New Testament, post-biblical Judaism, and Islam. The examples provided are drawn from those discussed in previous chapters and include Abraham, Isaac, Hagar, Ishmael, Ruth, Boaz, and Orpah. Various communities of faith have interpreted their lives in light of these canonical characters. Historically these communities of faith made the OT narratives not only formative for their identity, but often the stories became classical texts for the larger communities in which they lived. The chapter concludes with the question of how modern, secular readings of these canonical characters and stories should proceed, given the increasing cultural distance between past and present.
Jerusha Tanner Lamptey
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190653378
- eISBN:
- 9780190653408
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190653378.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter focuses on theological anthropology and probes the extent and reality of human freedom, especially considering structural and systemic constraint. It begins by exploring existing ...
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This chapter focuses on theological anthropology and probes the extent and reality of human freedom, especially considering structural and systemic constraint. It begins by exploring existing formulations of egalitarian anthropology that foreground tawhid, fitra, khilafah, and taqwa. It then engages Christian womanist and feminist perspectives on theological anthropology, embodiment, constraint, and survival articulated by M. Shawn Copeland, Jeannine Hill Fletcher, and Delores S. Williams. These perspectives prompt important considerations of individual autonomy and systemic injustice, and of possible responses to such injustice. The chapter concludes by articulating a Muslima theological expansion of taqwa—transformative taqwa—that centers Hajar and stresses systemic transformation through visibilization, conscientization, and prioritization of the marginalized.Less
This chapter focuses on theological anthropology and probes the extent and reality of human freedom, especially considering structural and systemic constraint. It begins by exploring existing formulations of egalitarian anthropology that foreground tawhid, fitra, khilafah, and taqwa. It then engages Christian womanist and feminist perspectives on theological anthropology, embodiment, constraint, and survival articulated by M. Shawn Copeland, Jeannine Hill Fletcher, and Delores S. Williams. These perspectives prompt important considerations of individual autonomy and systemic injustice, and of possible responses to such injustice. The chapter concludes by articulating a Muslima theological expansion of taqwa—transformative taqwa—that centers Hajar and stresses systemic transformation through visibilization, conscientization, and prioritization of the marginalized.
