No gendered bodies without queer desires : Judith Butler and Biblical gender trouble
This article offers two related arguments on gender as critical category for reading biblical texts (i.e. The Book of Judith, the Abraham and Sarah story in Genesis and the Book of Ruth): Firstly, drawing on Judith Butler's theoretical work, the paper argues that if we want to consider gender,...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2007
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| In: |
Old Testament essays
Year: 2007, Volume: 20, Issue: 2, Pages: 456-470 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This article offers two related arguments on gender as critical category for reading biblical texts (i.e. The Book of Judith, the Abraham and Sarah story in Genesis and the Book of Ruth): Firstly, drawing on Judith Butler's theoretical work, the paper argues that if we want to consider gender, we must consider how sexuality and power constitute our bodies as gendered bodies. Secondly, if we bring gender as interpretative category to biblical texts, it will neither do to simply rebuke the scriptures as a lore of male, straight domination, nor to simply herald the scriptures as a well of gender emancipation. Since no interpretation happens outside of social practices and institutions, the critical potential lies in how questions of gender allow us to examine our discursive regimes and practices at the junctures of bodies and power. Butler's work allows us to understand how not only gender, but also sex and sexuality are formed in relation to normative and normalizing frameworks. Our sexed and gendered bodies are haunted by the spectres of those queer bodies and desires which have to be excluded and disavowed. |
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| ISSN: | 2312-3621 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Old Testament essays
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| Persistent identifiers: | HDL: 10520/EJC85873 |
