Product Overview
What was it like to be a woman in the biblical period? It depended, in part, on who you were: a queen, a judge, a primary wife, a secondary wife, a widow, a slave, or some other kind of “ordinary woman.” In Women in the Bible, Jaime Clark-Soles investigates how women are presented in Scripture, taking into account cultural views of both ancient societies as well as our own. While women today are exercising leadership in churches across a number of denominations and our scholarly knowledge related to women in the Bible has grown immensely, challenges remain. Most of Christendom still excludes women from religious leadership, and many Christians invoke the Bible to circumscribe women’s leadership in the public square and in the home as well. It is more urgent than ever, therefore, to investigate closely, honestly, and intrepidly what the Bible does and doesn’t say about women.
In a multi-pronged approach, Clark-Soles treats well-known biblical women from fresh perspectives, highlights women who have been ignored, and recovers those who have been erased from historical memory by particular moves made in the transmission and translations of the text. She explores symbolic feminized figures like Woman Wisdom and the Whore of Babylon and reclaims the uses of feminine imagery in the Bible that often go unnoticed. Chapters focus on themes of God’s relationship to gender, women and violence, women as creators, and women in the ministry of both Jesus and Paul. Clark-Soles aims to equip clergy and other leaders invested in the study of Scripture to consider women in the Bible from multiple angles and, as a result, help people of all genders to live God’s vision of better, more just lives as we navigate the challenges of our complex, globally connected world.
Reviews
"Clark-Soles has provided the church with a thoughtful and provocative study, one that draws on various steams of scholarship and pays careful attention to frequently-overlooked aspects of our holy scriptures, one that is worth reading and pondering." —The Englewood Review of Books
“Reading this book is like the best Bible study or class you ever—or never—attended. What distinguishes Clark-Soles’s book from similar projects is that she doesn’t just walk you through texts but introduces you to a whole range of different and often unexpected interpretations for each passage. Even difficult and painful texts become occasions for new pastoral, spiritual, and prophetic insights. Attending to the needs of preachers, teachers, and general readers, Clark-Soles has created an incomparable resource for encountering the full range of women in the Bible.”
—Carol A. Newsom, Charles Howard Candler Professor Emerita of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
“Clark-Soles provides a format allowing readers to enter at their own pace and in their own space. While addressing a timeless topic, this work reimagines what the pursuit of ‘women in the Bible’ means in a time of gender fluidity. This is not another overview or mere summation. This is an opportunity to revisit and even disturb embedded biblical interpretations and social considerations for the sake of broader theological and ecclesial conversation.”
—Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder, Academic Dean and Associate Professor of New Testament, Chicago Theological Seminary
“The rubric ‘women in the Bible’ suggests yet one more prosaic catalog of names and roles, chapters and verses. But Jaime Clark-Soles offers instead a fascinating account that ranges from rich consideration of individual characters to reflection on the feminine work of God. It’s difficult to convey just how remarkable this book is in its scope and its treatment. Clark-Soles’s diverse array of conversation partners and keen pastoral sensitivity make this an ideal volume for students and pastors alike. Simply first rate!”
—Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Baylor University