Feminist Hermeneutics And Biblical Studies Summary

Review Essay: “Feminist Hermeneutics and Biblical Studies” In her article, “Feminist Hermeneutics and Biblical Studies”, Phyllis Trible discusses the issues centered toward women in the bible (Trible). She addresses issues not just concerning equality, but also how men viewed women in biblical times. Trible examines the role of women in the bible, and the misconception they carry, that leads many into harms way.

Trible has three main focuses in her article that include, “the inferiority, subordination and abuse of women in ancient Israel”, “the counter literature that is itself a critique of patriarchy”, and “the stories of terror about woman” (Trible). Each one sums a different oppression that women in the Bible faced. These ideas suggest that the overall purpose of her article is to identify that while women were viewed as a “helper” to men, God viewed them as much more (Trible).

Starting with Trible’s first focus of “the inferiority, subordination and abuse of women in ancient Israel” describes the role women are placed in (Trible). This role would be putting women behind men. An example from

Many of these stories include rape, murder, and abuse. The one that Trible points out is the story of the “concubine in Judges 19” (Trible). This story depicts that the concubine’s husband threw her out to men who had originally wanted him to rape. The men raped the concubine to the point of death. Her husband then dismembered her and sent the pieces to the tribes of Israel calling for justice. This story further depicts the role that women play. This helps support Tribles claim that women were considered lower than men. God on the other hand, was so angered by the ill treatment of a women, that he sent the tribes to war over one woman. Showing that God cares deeply about women, just as much as he would a