Overview
Blindness by bird excrement, seven husbands murdered by a love-sick demon, a father with the corpses of his sons-in-law interred in the backyard, and a magical fish. These farcical elements make the book of Tobit a striking work of humorous fiction in a long Jewish tradition of storytelling. But it is more than just an entertaining read. We might well laugh, but we cannot laugh too hard, for we also sympathize with the characters’ sincere struggles to understand God’s plan for their lives. This commentary considers the book of Tobit through a specifically feminist lens, discoursing on topics fundamental to the human experience in the story, such as grief, death, family relationships, belonging to a minority community, disability issues, and contending with why bad things happen to good people.
Full Product Details
Author: Michele Murray ,
Barbara E. Reid ,
Amy-Jill Levine
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Imprint: Liturgical Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.70cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.652kg
ISBN: 9780814681145
ISBN 10: 081468114
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 13 July 2023
Audience:
General/trade
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Adult education
,
General
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
"""This book, the first full-length feminist commentary on the Book of Tobit, is simply a delight--a commentary that fixes its lenses on the ancient context and our own. Not only does it inform the reader concerning the background of Tobit and the interpretive issues it raises, but it also addresses, with sensitivity and grace, the fundamental matters of equity that emerge from the book. Its intersectional approach lifts up the connections among gender, sexuality, race, and ability as they pertain to social justice. And it accomplishes all this in a highly readable, compelling style."" Adele Reinhartz, Distinguished University Professor, University of Ottawa ""Tobit is a romp and this commentary is a feminist tour through its fantastical world. With an expert's hand, Michele Murray guides the reader through Tobit's deeper questions about suffering, community identity, and God. At the same time, she offers a range of personal reflections (from others as well as her own) on disability, childlessness, pregnancy loss, widowhood, and the companionship of dogs. Altogether, an engaging and thought-provoking commentary."" Jennifer L. Koosed, Professor of Religious Studies, Albright College ""With this engaging treatment of Tobit, Michele Murray continues the high standards of the Wisdom Commentary Series. The social world of the story comes alive through comparisons to historical and modern equivalents. Feminist and intersectional concerns are prominent, creating a dialogue between ancient text and modern social issues. I was challenged on every page to return again to the text with new questions."" Lawrence M. Wills, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry"
This book, the first full-length feminist commentary on the Book of Tobit, is simply a delight--a commentary that fixes its lenses on the ancient context and our own. Not only does it inform the reader concerning the background of Tobit and the interpretive issues it raises, but it also addresses, with sensitivity and grace, the fundamental matters of equity that emerge from the book. Its intersectional approach lifts up the connections among gender, sexuality, race, and ability as they pertain to social justice. And it accomplishes all this in a highly readable, compelling style. Adele Reinhartz, Distinguished University Professor, University of Ottawa Tobit is a romp and this commentary is a feminist tour through its fantastical world. With an expert's hand, Michele Murray guides the reader through Tobit's deeper questions about suffering, community identity, and God. At the same time, she offers a range of personal reflections (from others as well as her own) on disability, childlessness, pregnancy loss, widowhood, and the companionship of dogs. Altogether, an engaging and thought-provoking commentary. Jennifer L. Koosed, Professor of Religious Studies, Albright College With this engaging treatment of Tobit, Michele Murray continues the high standards of the Wisdom Commentary Series. The social world of the story comes alive through comparisons to historical and modern equivalents. Feminist and intersectional concerns are prominent, creating a dialogue between ancient text and modern social issues. I was challenged on every page to return again to the text with new questions. Lawrence M. Wills, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
Author Information
Michele Murray is professor in the department of religion, society, and culture at Bishop’s University, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, where she served as the dean of arts and science, and dean of arts, for a decade. She holds an MA in Second Temple period Jewish history from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a PhD in religion, specializing in Christian origins, from the University of Toronto. Her research areas include Jewish-Christian relations in the ancient world, and interaction among Eastern-Mediterranean religions in late antiquity; she is the author of Playing a Jewish Game: Gentile Christian Judaizing in the First and Second Centuries CE (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2004), and several articles and book chapters.
