I wasn't going to write about International Women's Day and had posted another blog but I've changed my mind. I got thinking about the study groups I've led in the past three years, four of them based on books about aspects of the New Testament written by women scholars.
The first two were the excellent Sermon on the Mount and Entering the Passion of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine, titles that are self-explanatory. Late last year we got going on Finding Pheobe by Susan Hylen, a thought-provoking and revelatory look at women of the New Testament and the environment they lived in. Now we're working our way through Levine's Short Stories by Jesus and once again we are gaining perspectives we just didn't have before despite hearing the parables so often through our lifetimes.
I have quite a number of books by women biblical scholars, most of which have been really beneficial. Times and attitudes and opportunities have changed in half a century. When I entered seminary 47 years ago all but one of my professors were males and most of the material we considered was written by men. Now the principal of Emmanuel College at UofT is a woman and the faculty is much more diverse.
I should note that most of the participants in our study groups are women and I benefit greatly from their insights and observations. Even though we seriously consider the subject matter we also laugh.
I'll wrap this up with a thank you to my late mother who had no formal theological training yet was a person of deep Christian faith who was a life-long learner.
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