This course will study in depth some of the narratives of female characters of the Bible and associated non-canonical text, and texts concerning gender and ethics. The approach will involve close exegetical reading and considering a variety of perspectives, including historical, literary, theological and ideological approaches, with a focus on feminist hermeneutics, intersectional theories and queer exegesis.

1x2hr seminar per week over 10 weeks which may be taught concurrently with TRS4112, as scheduled on MyCampus

Women and Gender in the Bible and the Ancient World TRS4112

None

1 x 3500 word essay (70%)

1 x 15 minute presentation with report of 1500 words (30%)

This course aims to:

• engage in close reading of selected texts about sex and gender from different divisions of the Bible and related texts;

• relate biblical and related texts to a variety of religious and secular contexts;

• discuss feminism, gender theory and queer theory and their intersections and applications in biblical scholarship;

• become familiar with a range of theoretical interpretative approaches to texts;

•explore current debates about biological and socially constructed understandings of sex and gender, including biblical influences underpinning categories of identity

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Analyse and critically engage with key primary and secondary texts, and present a critically nuanced analysis variety of interpretive approaches to the representation of sex and gender in biblical texts;

• Assess a wide range of critical and theoretical approaches to sex and gender in the Bible;

• Frame arguments effectively in speech and in writing at an advanced level;

• Use sophisticated research, analytical and writing skills;

• Engage in independent study, identifying, researching and writing on the historical, cultural and literary character of specific biblical and apocryphal texts about sex, gender and their intersections;

• Communicate responses to the material studied on the course both orally and in written form through coherent and sustained argument;

•Write clearly, concisely, and with apposite historical and theoretical judgement on a range of primary texts.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.