Storied Women

In this course we will read and analyze stories about women in the Jewish Bible, its Greek translations, and the Christian Bible (both Old and New Testaments). Using various historical, literary, theological, and gendered approaches to the study of ancient texts, we will examine characters such as Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Tamar, Deborah, Ruth, Judith, Mary, the women of Paul’s letters, and Revelation’s great whore of Babylon. In addition to recent academic treatments of the stories, we will also consider some of the ways they have been retold through time in both religious and secular settings, including art, literature, drama, and film. 3 hrs. sem.