Overview

This is the first book to take a broad interdisciplinary approach to the relationship between female blood and issues of purity and impurity. Well-known women scholars examine blood and purity laws, especially as those laws have been passed down in the biblical literature and in the Roman Catholic tradition. Theses scholars work with different texts, ranging across the biblical, classical, patristic, medieval, and modern, with approaches varying from the historical critical to postmodern. Kristin De Troyer (Claremont) asks whether blood is a threat to holiness or a step toward another holiness. Judith Ann Johnson (Claremont) explores the shedding of blood as the sanctifying rite of heroes. Anne-Marie Korte (The Netherlands) takes an anthropological look at female blood rituals. Kathleen O'Grady (Toronto) analyzes the woman with a discharge of blood in light of menstrual prohibitions in the Hebrew Bible. Deborah Ellens (Claremont) offers a challenging reading of Leviticus 15. Mayer Gruber (Beer Sheva, Israel) examines Qumran law and halachic sources dealing with women and pollution. Kathleen P. Rushton (Brisbane, Australia) offers a feminist reading of the story of the woman in childbirth in John 16:21. Jennifer Schultz (Toronto, Canada) explores doctors, philosophers, and the Christian Fathers on menstrual blood. Susan K. Roll Buffalo, New York) surveys patristic and medieval texts dealing with the churching of women after childbirth. Grietje Dresen (The Netherlands) examines the churching of new mothers in the Roman Catholic tradition. Kristin De Troyer is Professor of Hebrew Bible at Claremont School of Theology and Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University. She is the author of The End of the Alpha-Text of Esther: Translation Techniques and Narrative Techniques in MT-LXX 8:1-17-AT 7, 14-4. Judith A. Herbert is a Ph.D. student at Claremont School of Theology. Judith Ann Johnson is an independent research scholar working with Claremont Graduate University's Women's Studies in Religion and University of Global Ministries. Anne-Marie Korte is lives in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and is the editor of Women and Miracle Stories: Multidisciplinary Explanation.

Full Product Details

Author:   Judith A. Herbert ,  Judith Ann Johnson ,  Professor Dr. Anne-Marie Korte ,  Anne-Marie Kristin De Troyer Korte
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.430kg
ISBN:  

9781563384004

ISBN 10:   1563384000
Pages:   264
Publication Date:   01 April 2003
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

The semantics of taboo - menstrual prohibitions in the Hebrew Bible, Kathleen O'Grady; menstrual impurity and innovation in Leviticus, Deborah Ellens; blood - a threat to holiness or towards (another) holiness?, Kristin De Troyer; purity and impurity in Halakic sources and Qumran law; the woman in childbirth of John 16:21 - a feminist reading in (pro)creative boundary crossing - Kathleen P. Rushton; doctors, philosophers, and Christian fathers on menstrual blood, Jennifer Schultz; the old rite of the churching of women after childbirth, Susan K. Roll; the better blood - on sacrifice and the churching of new mothers in the Roman Catholic tradition, Grietje Dresen; female blood rituals - cultural-anthropological findings and feminist-theological reflections, Anne-Marie Korte; shedding blood - the sanctifying rite of heroes, Judith Ann Johnson.

Reviews

The essays in this volume converge on a powerful and complex topic The authors write from a strong feminist perspective and underscore the negative valence given to women as a source of pollution in many of these traditions, while at the same time suggesting new readings of these traditional materials that link the blood of women to holiness. Donald Senior C.P., The Bible Today, July/August 2003.--Sanford Lakoff

Wholly Woman, Holy Blood presents saddening as well as infuriating details about the effects of texts like Lev.12 and 15 on the roles of women in Western society and religion. Biblical, theological, historical, and liturgical studies combine to an insightful and rich interdisciplinary conversation that exposes the perniciousness of past and present patriarchal disdain for womanly maters and women as a group. Thematic and text-focused, this volume illustrates that we gain much by reading biblical texts within their extensive history of interpretation. ----Susanne Scholz Blurb from reviewer

To equate female blood, menstrual blood, with holiness? This is an audacious and long overdue academic undertaking. Read this book--it's refreshing in its transdisciplinary vigor and forward-looking suggestions for reading canonical texts. --,

Author Information

Judith A. Herbert is a Ph.D. student at Claremont School of Theology. Judith Ann Johnson is an independent research scholar working with Claremont Graduate University’s Women’s Studies in Religion and University of Global Ministries. Anne-Marie Korte is lives in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and is the editor of Women and Miracle Stories: Multidisciplinary Explanation.

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