Certificate in Jewish Studies - Gender and Sexuality in the Bible GWST 3020   Gender and Sexuality in the Bible
CREDIT HOURS: 3
This course considers representations of gender and sexuality in the Bible (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament), its Ancient Mediterranean context, and its reception history, with a focus on Jewish interpretation. We consider both what these texts tell us about the ancient world and how people have read and interpreted them over time. We learn how masculinity, femininity, gender binaries, and gender roles were understood and constructed by ancient authors and later interpreters; we explore the roles female characters play in biblical narratives (as wives and mothers, leaders and victims, prophets and prostitutes); we consider symbolic uses of the feminine and the implications of the traditional portrayal of God as male; and we consider what the Bible says about marriage and procreation, homosexuality, and sexual violence. How were these texts composed and interpreted over time? How do they continue to shape attitudes about gender and sexuality in the contemporary world? Students who read Biblical Hebrew at any level will have the opportunity to read texts in the original if they wish, but no knowledge of Hebrew(and no background knowledge about the Bible or Judaism) is required or expected.
FORMAT: Lecture
PREREQUISITES: One of the following courses: RELS 1001.03; RELS 1002.03; GWST 1010.03; or GWST 1015.03
CROSS-LISTING: RELS 3020.03