Annaliese Roegner

Dr. Park
REL 1010
13 March 2023
Unit 3 Notes

Lecture Notes
1. Feminist Biblical Interpretation
a. Unit 3: Tool emoji
b. Text: Bible is a weapon for oppression and tool for social transformation
c. Meaning: subjective and based on gender identity
d. Reader: to analyze ideological dimensions of the text
e. Reading strategies: feminist, gender, sexuality, masculinity studies, queer theory
f. Goal: to engage in feminist critique and feminist construction
g. Terms
i. Sex is a biological distinction but gender is a social construct
ii. Feminism: resistance to male domination and androcentrism: perspectives
based around male-centered powers
iii. Patriarchy: men control women and kyriarchy domination based on all
factors.
h. Definition:
i. Feminist Criticism
1. Patriarchal religion used to oppress women (white women)
ii. Womanist Criticism
1. Recognizes oppression based on all black women
i. Feminist critique and construction
i. Construction: female images of God, history of women interpreting the
bible
2. Unit 3 Lecture – Example 1
a. Adam and Eve, the fall of man, Eve the Serpent and Death,
i. Eve the seductress and Eve the villain are common stereotypes of Eve.
b. Genesis 3:6
i. “who was with her”
ii. Julie Faith Parker argues the translation... should be translated as both
Adam and Eve, instead of just blaming the woman
c. Mistranslations
i. Are all based around Eve being the only one there when in reality Adam is
with her.
ii. It is important to note that Adam is with her when she was eating the fruit.
d. Debunking Myths
 i. There was no fruit, Eve was not by herself, and Eve did not seduce Adam
into eating the fruit.
3. Feminist Biblical Interpretation (Women and Church Leadership)
a. 1 Timothy 2: 1 –15
b. “Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or
to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.”
i. Is this something that is actually in a Bible....... this is misunderstood
c. 2 Modes of feminist criticism
i. What is the basis for Paul’s claim?
1. Based on creation accounts in the book of Genesis
a. Which creation account is it based on?
b. In Genesis 1 everything is created simultaneously
c. In Gensis 2 man is created first and then woman... woman
is described as being under man and made to “help and
serve” him.
d. Lilith is Adam’s first wife.
e. Paul’s argument is based on Genesis 1 not on Genesis 2
ii. Adam was first formed, yes the woman was deceived, BUT Adam was
also deceived.
d. Options to deal with difficult text:
i. Extract and apply: God’s word is universally applicable
ii. Contextualize historically and literarily: based on history and Paul noting
women are not as educated.
iii. Reject these texts: highlight texts that encourage a more diverse
interpretation.
e. Implications to consider
i. Stereotype that Eve is to blame
ii. Eve did not seduce Adam
iii. Eve did not bite into an apple
iv. Women had leadership roles in the OT and NT law
v. Bible translations are not impartial... it is a form of interpretation.
vi. Biblical texts have conflicting portraits.

Textbook Notes
• Kaltner and McKenzie, Chapter 6
a) Eewwphemisms
i) The Bible deals with all dimensions of life.
ii) It used Euphemisms to describe more gory graphic parts of life.
b) Lefty versus Fatty
i) The Book of Judges
ii) Circular Pattern
(1) Sin, foreign oppression, repentance, deliverance by a judge,
tranquility, sin, etc.
 iii) The first judge is Ehud
(1) He learns left handed combhat and then kills a very fat king.
c) Deborah and Jael
i) Deborah only female judge. She uses sex to murder a man.
d) Samson and Delilah
i) Delilah tricks Samson into telling her what makes him strong and then
shaves his head to release his strength.
e) Jacob and Esau
i) Babies represent the countries their names carry, names mean red and heel
ii) Jacob wrestles with the angel
f) David and Michal
i) David replaces Saul, David risks his life, acquiring men’s foreskins and
presenting them to Saul for personal ambition.
g) Prophets and Kings
i) Dehumanization of victims
h) Paul and the Judaizers
i) Paul wishes eternal damnation on those who are teaching a different
gospel.
i) Paul and His Accomplishments
i) Paul views the life outside of Christ as Shit.

Argument Analysis

1. In the nineteenth century biblical scholars began using social science theories and
anthropology to interpret the bible in order to better understand society.
2. Biblical scholars turned towards anthropologist who worked from an evolutionist
perspective, especially based around family structure. Some anthropologists even
theorized that families were a female-dominated matriarchy.
3. Most scholars, however, adhered to the patriarchal model.
4. When studied by feminist biblical scholars male privilege and dominance was found not
only in the family but throughout all social structures.
5. Although there is clear evidence that women were part of a victimhood throughout this
time, it can still be questioned whether or not women had leading roles in society.