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Doing Feminist Biblical Criticism in a Women's Studies Context

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Doing Feminist Biblical Criticism in a Women's Studies Context Doing Feminist Biblical Criticism in a Women's Studies Context Pamela J. Milne, University of Windsor, Introduction teaches and conducts feminist research in Women’s studies programs are char- the field of Hebrew bible in the Faculty of Arts acteristically multidisciplinary. They connect with and Social Sciences and in the Women’s a wide range of disciplines by placing women Studies program. She is also an activist and at the centre of inquiry. It is not uncommon to has published in the area of employment find courses on women and literature, history, equity. politics, or science. Moreover, thematic courses on topics such as women and work, mother- Abstract ing and motherhood, or sex/gender and sexual- Can academic feminist biblical studies courses ities will frequently examine the topics from a have a valid place within women’s studies? This variety of disciplinary perspectives. It is even article examines how such courses, once possible to find some programs that look at housed in a religious studies program, have women and religion. But it is rare to find a been refocused to equip women's studies women’s studies program that includes courses students with analytical skills and to serve related to the discipline of biblical studies. major themes in a women’s studies curriculum. In addition to the fact that few women’s studies programs would have the Résumé financial luxury to have courses in such a Les études universitaires bibliques féministes specialized area as feminist biblical criticism, other factors, such as the contested nature of peuvent-elles occuper une place valable au 1 sein des études sur les femmes ? Cet article the term “bible” (Davies 2004), along with examine comment ce genre de cours, autre- suspicion on the part of many feminists toward fois inclus dans les programmes d’études organized religions, may underlie this exclusion. théologiques, a été repensé afin d’inculquer aux Judith Plaskow (1997) observed that “women’s étudiant-e-s en études sur les femmes, des studies in religion has been a bit of a step- compétences analytiques, et afin de servir les sister within women’s studies” (199) and she thèmes majeurs dans le cadre du curriculum offered reasons why this should not remain d’études sur les femmes. the case. More than a decade later, however, the situation seems relatively unchanged. If women’s studies programs see little need, or have little desire, to include feminist analyses of religion, the need or desire to include feminist analyses of religious texts such as the bible is even less. The fact that so much work by feminist biblical scholars has been apologetic or recuperative in nature is a legitimate reason, in my view, for the ongoing suspicion about the discipline. Most feminist biblical scholars position themselves within Judaism or Christianity and thus continue to regard the biblical texts as sacred. They may acknow- ledge the patriarchy of the biblical tradition but, through their scholarship, many seek ways to recover the voices of women and/or exonerate the bible itself in some way (Russell 1985, 14; 128 www.msvu.ca/atlantis ■□ 35.2, 2011 Lerner 1986, 176‒177; Trible 1995; Frymer- arisen from the fact that, since 1996, the two Kensky 2002, 2006; Day and Pressler 2006, feminist courses I teach on the Hebrew bible xvi‒xviii). Such approaches are paralleled in have been located in the Women’s Studies non-feminist biblical studies, to the extent that program at the university where I work, there- Hector Avalos (2007) has called for the end by making our program atypical in this regard. of academic biblical studies as a discipline. Women’s Studies did not choose to include Avalos argues that treating the bible as an my courses. Rather, it inherited them when the inspired, revealed text that is religiously and religious studies department in which I had been socially valuable for guiding one’s life in the teaching was disbanded by the University modern world constitutes “bibliolatry” and Senate. renders the work of such scholars illegitimate The move to Women’s Studies called as an academic discipline (2007, 16). Avalos’ for some reshaping and refocusing of my criticism would also apply to much of the work courses and for a rethinking of their relevance done by feminist biblical scholars. Within for women's studies students. I now see at feminist biblical scholarship itself, however, a least three benefits of including feminist study small number of scholars have taken a strictly of the bible in a women's studies context. The secular approach. From the early 1980s, Esther first is that biblical criticism is an ideal site for Fuchs has been unapologetically exposing introducing students to research methods, gender ideology in the Hebrew bible (1982; feminist methodologies, and the interaction 1985; 1987) and has been a vocal critic of re- between the two. The second is that it allows cuperative and neo-liberal feminist approaches women’s studies students to develop skills for (2008, 45). She is no longer alone in her critically analyzing bible-based arguments that approach. Athalya Brenner (1996), Susanne might be employed during debates on con- Scholz (1998, 2007), Cheryl Exum (1995), temporary social issues such as same-sex and Gale Yee (2003b) are among a growing marriage, gay/lesbian rights, or women’s social number of feminist biblical scholars who roles. The third is that new research strategies engage in critical analyses that seek to hold gained from women’s studies can be applied the bible ethically and socially accountable to the feminist analysis of the bible to provide and to expose its sexist, ethnocentric, homo- insight into how it is being understood and phobic, and patriarchal ideologies. used in contemporary society. The relevance of the bible in North American society today may not be as Changing Contexts, Changing Focus obvious as it was to the nineteenth-century The students who take feminist feminists who had no choice but to engage it courses on the bible as part of women’s in their struggle for equal rights. Nevertheless, studies are quite different from those I taught the impact of the biblical tradition on con- in religious studies. Whereas religious studies temporary society continues to be significant. students generally brought some knowledge Susanne Scholz (2007) has argued per- of the bible to the classroom, students who suasively that feminist academic scholarship take the courses as part of women’s studies on the bible “has much to offer in under- generally do not. On the other hand, the standing the world and women's and men's students I used to teach in religious studies places in it” and in moving us toward the goal rarely had any awareness of feminism, while of transforming androcentric and hierarchical those I now teach in women’s studies have at structures in our postcolonial world (123‒125). least some knowledge of feminism, and those Such scholarship needs to contextualize the above first year have considerable knowledge. biblical tradition and to uncover where it is at The one characteristic the two groups share is odds with fundamental human rights and that neither has had exposure to an academic, democratic principles. non-confessional, non-theological approach It is this kind of secular feminist biblical to the study of the bible. scholarship that I think has a rightful place in My biblical courses are at the second- the context of a women’s studies program. and third-year levels, and the majority of My interest in this issue is pragmatic. It has students enrolled in them are women’s studies www.msvu.ca/atlantis ■□ 35.2, 2011 129 majors or minors. Many have already taken studies students should develop their own my introductory course, Women and Religion, voices and should use what they learn to and thus have an awareness of the role enact social change. This activism aspect of religions have played in the historical sub- our Women’s Studies program’s mission was jugation of women. For the most part, these never a part of the teaching mandate in students do not consider the biblical text religious studies. religiously authoritative and are open to learn- Women’s studies students do not need ing and applying critical analytical methods to it. to be on the cutting edge of biblical scholar- In addition to feminist biblical courses, I ship. They cannot be expected to be able to was asked by Women’s Studies to develop and read biblical texts in ancient languages or to teach an upper-level core course, Feminist appreciate the intricacies of semantic dis- Frameworks for Research. This course, which cussions over individual Hebrew, Aramaic, or I have taught for the past decade, has been Greek terms. But they do need to understand an enormous challenge because of my lack of the central role the bible has played and formal training in women’s studies and because continues to play in Western cultures. They can of the multi- and inter-disciplinary nature of acquire a level of fluency with the tradition women’s studies. The course demanded that that will allow them to engage in informed I familiarize myself with feminist research in debate with those who continue to use the disciplines ranging from sociology to science bible as a roadblock to women’s full equality. and from languages to law. Developing this In our Women’s Studies program, most course proved to be very helpful, however, in lower-level courses do not explicitly discuss allowing me to see more clearly how I could methods and methodologies. These concepts redesign my biblical courses so that they could are the focus of the third-year course, Feminist better serve the needs of women’s studies Frameworks for Research.
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