Re-Reading Genesis: Promise, Power and Politics (BA9080P)

Content

The Book of Genesis contains some very well-known stories in the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament. These narratives form and shape beliefs and attitudes, as well as influence responses to significant issues that confront individuals and communities in today's world. This unit will introduce the book of Genesis at the intersections of promise, power, and politics (ancient & modern). It will address critical, historical, and literary issues in the book, its reception, and its relationship to the ancient Near East. You will study selected texts in the book from varied perspectives (historical, socio-political, feminist/gender, ecological, postcolonial, disability, queer, etc.), identify themes and issues and reflect on the complexities of relationships between characters and traditions. The unit seeks to foster appreciation for these biblical stories and facilitate conversation between the book and our context and discover insights to address contemporary issues.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

Prerequisite: 24 Points in Old Testament Studies

Pedagogy

Lectures and Tutorials

Indicative Bibliography

1. Brenner, Athalya., ed. A Feminist Companion to Genesis. Sheffield: JSOT, 1993.
2. Brenner, Athalya; Lee, Archie Chi Chung and Yee, Gale A., eds. Genesis: Texts and Contexts. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2010.
3. Brett, Mark. Genesis: Procreation and the Politics of Identity. London: Routledge, 2000.
4. de la Torre, Miguel. Genesis. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011.
5. Fewell, Danna N., and Gunn, David M. Gender, Power and Promise: The Subject of the Bible’s First Story. Nashville: Abingdon, 1993
6. Goldstein, Rabbi ELyse, ed. The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2003.
7. Habel, Norman. The Birth, the Curse and the Greening of the Earth: An Ecological Reading of Genesis 1-11. The Earth Bible Commentary Series. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2011.
8. Havea, Jione and Melanchthon, Monica., eds. Bible Blindspots: Dispersion and Othering. Intersectionality & Theology Series. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2021.
9. Jeansonne, Sharon Pace. The Women of Genesis: From Sarah to Potiphar's Wife. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1990.
10. Sarna, Nahum M. The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989.
11. Wenham, Gordon J. Genesis 1-15. and Genesis 16-50. WBC, Vol 01 and 02. Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1987; 1994.

Assessment