Barbara Chodkowski
Christian Movement II
Email Seminar – The Woman’s Bible
People are often amazed as how long these ideas have been debated. Change came very slowly.
Although I have heard some of the commentary in this text before, I was enthralled with it as a holistic work. This commentary, as a whole is incredibly brave, and insightful. It is because of these women and those that followed their lead that I can attend BTS today. It is quite poignant to me that the main reason that it took me until 49 years of age to get here had to do with my parents’ refusal to believe in 1975/76 that there was a future for a woman minister – even in the UCC!. And while I do find some feminist literature to swing past where I think the pendulum indicates a middle and equal position, the lens that this book peers through promotes thought and the often voiced, “ah ha”. This response I would expect to be uttered by most male readers of the work as well.
One of the commentaries I was especially impressed by was by Elizabeth Cady Stanton on Chapter 3. She is referring to the tempter in the garden when she writes:
The tempter evidently had a profound knowledge of human nature, and saw at a glance the high character of the person he met by chance in his walks in the garden. He did not try to tempt her from the path of duty by brilliant jewels, rich dresses, worldly luxuries or pleasures, but with the promise of knowledge, with the wisdom of the Gods. (p. 24)
Not only does this make a great deal of sense, but must have struck home with Stanton and other women who were not allowed to study at the same schools as men despite the proven scholastic achievement of such women. History chronicles a woman’s struggle for education for many decades following these writings, still existing in more subtle, subversive ways today. My personal interpretation of this passage has always centered around the fact that knowledge and wisdom has been withheld in the story from both humans because knowledge being power also corrupts. We don’t know if Adam would have been seduced by the same proposal, as the meeting was supposedly by chance and the tempter offers the seduction to the one of the two he meets. I assume that Adam would have been offered the same as Eve. What his decision would have been, we cannot know because the story does not tell us. It is, however, that such a story has been the basis for terrible inequalities and perceptions. Was this its purpose – in light of this commentary – I cannot think so.
I was also drawn to the writing of Clara Bewick Colby on chapter 7. She states that the account of Rebekah shows her “personal freedom and dignity”. The commentary points at historical inaccuracies of interpretation to explain that the Hebrew Scriptures, again, do not place woman in a subordinate place. The men, who somehow ended up with the education and did the research and writing did not understand the culture within which these stories took place. In using the customs of the biblical Israelites as models, they used a modern vantage point. As Colby concludes, the cues the men use for a basis of behavior are inaccurate.
The Woman’s Bible is full of examples of these misunderstandings, misreads and subsequent misbehaviors. It makes a person wonder how the world would be modeled at different points in history if the woman’s role was modeled what appears to be the truth of the scriptures, rather than a skewed eye. How many brilliant minds never were cultivated? How many decisions would have not been made, roads taken, etc. Which players would have been different? Would celibacy ever have been an issue? Would woman be priests (now or over the centuries)? The book is certainly thought provoking, and I plan on reading it through at a time when assignments quiet down once more.
CH 1502
Christian Movement
Glenn Miller
April 2, 2008
Cathie Kimball
The Woman’s Bible
Mrs.
Stanton provides us with a great breath of fresh air. Her insights and exegesis are excellent, and
suggest that she had teachers similar to Ann Johnston. Much of biblical criticism, at
least the reading of the documents, was in place relatively early Her goal was a lofty one, to re-craft the Bible with women
in mind, and she gathered an impressive group of equally gifted women to
participate in the task. This is a test to see if the slowdown is the
result of the
In reading Chapter VI, on the account in Genesis of Abraham and Sarah, I was reminded of Ann’s comment in Torah that it is of note that after Abraham takes Isaac up on the mountain, ostensibly to sacrifice him, that thereafter the family is never seen again intact. It is only upon Sarah’s death that Abraham becomes reconnected with Sarah. One can imagine the wrath of a woman toward the man who at least intended to sacrifice her son. It is this kind of woman whom Elizabeth Stanton brings forward in her comments on Genesis. Interesting observation
“In this prolonged interview, the unprejudiced reader must be impressed with the courage, the dignity, and the lofty ambition of the woman…. [The tempter] did not try to tempt her …with brilliant jewels…but with the promise of knowledge… Compared to Adam she appears to great advantage through the entire drama.” What an insightful observation, that Adam merely did what he was told by Eve, but that Eve needed to be courted and she was vulnerable not to things – for she already possessed all in the Garden – but to knowledge, to ‘wisdom of the Gods’. She and others go on to make similar comparisons of men and women. Lillian Devereux Blake makes the observation that even as they appear before God to defend their actions that Adam whines, and blames Eve! They adequately demonstrated that Adam and Eve were created in equality and from both the masculine and feminine aspects of God. She goes on to observe that a more literal translation of the naming of Eve is the word Life. As the Mother of the human race, it is an apt observation.
Still,
Elizabeth herself commits the error of anachronistic interpretation in her
comments on the actions of Rebekah to secure for
Jacob, her favorite, a birthright. This is very
typical of the moral thinking of the 19th
century with its very heavy emphasis on personal
integrity and truthfulness. Deception
was considered sinful by most commentators, and some biblical scholars used
these stories to demonstrate that the ancient Israelites were not good examples
of ethical thought. Though
even within the time period it would be possible to find fault with her
deception, she makes the mistake of suggesting that women of her century should
not turn to women such as these for examples of virtue. It was an act of great courage for Rebekah to behave as she did in her time. She showed courage from her first appearance
– confidently drawing water from the well in front of all those men – and
proceeded to take full advantage of opportunities offered to her to advance
herself and her children. While
Elizabeth Stanton seems able to see the earlier stories of Genesis as myths,
she seems to take these stories more personally, failing to see some of the
more over-arching themes that tell us something about God and something about
the flawed nature of humanity. Second
sons favored over firstborn are a recurring theme in
Still,
Kathleen M. Batchelder
Stanton was
an interesting figure and an important one.
It is always fascinating to see how many issues that we assume are
comparatively recent actually date back to the late 1800’s. She does use many scholarly conclusions that
are still with us. The phrase,
fine metaphysical speculations could be appreciated by any teacher at any
level. In seminaries, of course, we have few people
whose dog ate their papers, although the number of crashed computers, broken
printers, bad websites, and the rest is
extraordinary.
The midrash point is an interesting
one. Midrash
was a very jewish form of
commentary that is only
slightly related to our present ways of commenting on the text.
See you
tomorrow
CH
1502—Online Seminar #8
Elizabeth
Cady Stanton’s Woman’s Bible: A Classic Feminist Perspective
Elizabeth Cady
Stanton is a feisty figure in women’s history, and I am delighted to find her
among Christian Movement readings. It
makes sense that her dedication to equal rights for women and to abolition of
slavery bring her to discussions of religion. Three things that fascinate me
about Stanton’s text are her distinction between her quarrel with men and their
association with the writing/interpretation of the Holy Scriptures; her pointed
use of diction; and her creation of a midrash
within the text.
First, it is apparent early in this text that
Stanton’s quarrel is with men, not with God.
For example, on page 13, she writes, “The canon law, the Scriptures, the
creeds and codes and church discipline of the leading religions bear the
impress of fallible man, and not of our ideal great first cause, ‘the Spirit of
all Good,’ that set the universe of matter and mind in motion.” Stanton is also frustrated with men’s
hypocrisy in their reading of the Bible as justification for the subjugation of
women while at the same time glorifying the images of women within the Bible’s
stories. On page 25, she has related the story of the curse
pronounced on woman’s child bearing (in the story of Adam) when she captures a
notable double standard of hypocrisy:
“Some churchmen speak of maternity as a disability, and then chant the Magnificat in all their cathedrals round the globe.” Today
we are still hearing about the issue of double standards in cases of religion
and of social justice.
In
addition to Stanton’s relevancy to today’s discussions of women’s rights, her
use of language is “spot on.” My
favorite phrase in the sections we read for this week has to be on page 21 when
she describes man’s justification of subordination of women as “fine-spun
metaphysical speculations.” It makes me
wish I were back in the high school classroom on the day a big essay is due; as
I listened to “my dog ate my homework” or “my printer is out of ink” for the
thirty-seventh time, I could express my sympathy for the student’s story as
“fine-spun metaphysical speculations.” Stanton’s father said he wished she were
a boy—I think she is a fine wordsmith as she is!!
Finally, The Woman’s Bible
captured my interest as a midrash or “commentary and
explanatory notes” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms , page
173). In the Talmud, highly respected
rabbis commented on the Hebrew Scriptures.
In The Woman’s Bible, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and seven other
women (listed on page 4) both write about the words of Genesis and also comment
on each other’s ideas. For example, on page 41, Clara Bewick
Colby comments both on the story of Abraham and Sarah and also on the writings
of Elizabeth Cady Stanton about Abraham and Sarah. The reader is thus drawn into the
conversation among the text’s writers through this midrash strategy.
This
is a good observation.
Stanton tells the reader (in the
introduction on page 9)
that several women biblical scholars were afraid to risk their
academic reputations by working with The Woman’s Bible. This does not lead, however, to a lack of
sound scholarship. I enjoyed the
inclusion on pages 16 and 17 of a concise, yet thorough, explanation
of biblical authorship—including the “J” and “E” authors who used “Iaveh” and “Elohim” as names for
God. As a BTS “newbie” who has been learning
about authors and redactors of the Scriptures, I appreciate Stanton’s inclusion
of sound scholarship which I understand.
She addresses issues of current interest such as ordination of women and
evolution—issues which have been “settled” in some denominations and not in
others. I am glad The Woman’s Bible
is among our readings for Christian Movement.
Rather than always staying with the theological issues of the church, I
enjoy reading about the sociological conflicts.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s voice speaks clearly to me: “Reformers who are always compromising have
not yet grasped the idea that truth is the only safe ground to stand upon”
(page 11). She is talking about women’s
rights; I understand her to include all reform efforts which are grounded in
God’s truth.
Michael Kasevich
Christian Movement
April 3, 2008
Prior to coming to seminary, I would have not read this material, not because a woman wrote her beliefs and thoughts, but because of the assumed position, the author places upon its reader. In the introduction, there is a quote from Lord Brougham, who stood up for the Princes of Wales during her divorce for he was the head of her legal team. The quote states, “it is a disgrace to the civilization and Christianity of the Ninetieth Century.” Brougham was referring to the civil rights of woman. His specialty was the civil rights of slaves.
In the same paragraph, Charles Kingsley is quoted “this will never be a
good world for women until the last remnant of the cannon law is swept from the
face of the earth.” Kingsley was an author of children’s books and a great
social reformer in his day. Here
To take this pre-assumption into the text of Genesis, let us look at
Genesis 3: 1-14. In her commentary,
The text in Genesis, I think, is very clear that the woman was used by the serpent to create havoc on earth and not to develop some higher form of life; as we are all created equal in the image of God as it states in Genesis 1:27
I do not see the correlation between this scripture writing and commentary to the statements in the introduction about the evil human hating death woman. I use this example because we are all familiar with the creation story.
In her writing,
In her book, Discovering Eve ,Carol Meyers writes how the image of male and female sexuality is exempt from the biblical text in Genesis. She goes on to state that the implications of Adam and Eve’s disobedience is the predominate theme. Meyers states that only in later literature, in both Judaism and in Christianity, that Eve, the first woman, get the bum rap about bringing death and destruction to human kind by original sin.
It is in the writings of
CH 1502 Phyllis
Merritt
Christian
Movement II
Glenn Miller week of
The Woman’s Bible
A Classic Feminist
Perspective
Introduction
and Genesis
Thanks for
the helpful story at the end of the paper.
Sometimes we forget how recent some of those discriminations actually
were. It is fascinating to me how many
people, this is off subject, have been hurt by choirs.
I can imagine
the furor when The Woman’s Bible was
published! Page x of the Foreward to the Dover Edition, states that it “spread
controversy” and that it inspired “some members of the clergy to denounce it as
the work of Satan.” Even the membership
of the National-American Woman Suffrage Association voted to accept a
resolution disassociating itself from The
Woman’s Bible or “any theological publication” (215) by a vote of 53-41
(217). That being said, I find it
interesting to note that the book was also an “immediate bestseller.” (x)
According to
the blurb on the back cover, one of the reasons for the enduring nature of the book, is “the still-resonant sincerity of its righteous
indignation.” That righteous indignation
is present from the first sentence in the introduction. We soon discover that forming the committee
to write the commentaries was no easy task.
Some women were not eager to help because they were afraid that “their
high reputation[s] and scholarly attainments might be compromised by taking
part in an enterprise that for a time may prove very unpopular.” (9) Others felt that the endeavor would
“compromise their evangelical faith [if they affiliated] with those of more liberal views.”
(9) Elizabeth Cady Stanton makes it
clear that working on this project would not be a job for cowards! (11)
Although I
come from a family of what I consider to be strong women, I was “born and
brought up” on one creation-of-humans story, the one about the rib. I have never heard the story of Genesis 1
discussed, nor have I heard anyone mention the “us” of verse 26. I have thought about the Ten Commandments,
the “Golden Rule” and the way my parent taught us to behave. The early fathers and mothers, as I have read
their stories in Genesis, did not usually behave with integrity. I found that sneakiness, lying and trickery
seemed to be a part of almost every character.
It doesn’t take long for the commentators of this Bible to point out
those characteristics as well. They do
not point to these early men and women as models worthy of imitation. (53)
The
commentaries tackle the subjugation of women by pointing out that while “equal dominion
is given woman over every living thing, but not one word is said giving man
dominion over woman.” (15) Later, the verse that has been used to justify
the degradation and subjugation of women more than others is discussed. These commentaries see Genesis 3:16 as a
prediction, a foretelling, rather than as a curse. (25)
The blurb on
the cover states that “
·
If
Genesis
·
(Genesis
2:23) If woman is “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh,” how could men preach
the subjugation of women? (21)
I have found
it difficult to imagine the world these women discuss, but an incident that
happened at this year’s convocation helped me understand the issue a little
better. One BTS alum
was told that the choir was going to be co-ed the year she started seminary in
the 1960’s. Excitedly, she went to the
try-outs. The choir director was not
prepared for a woman to be there and obviously didn’t want a co-ed choir. In her mind, his dismissive remark was given
a shady interpretation by the rest of the choir, and she left try-outs in
embarrassment. She never sang in the BTS
choir; it became co-ed after her graduation.
This year, when alums were invited to sing with the choir, she jumped at
the chance. Before we began rehearsing,
she told us her story. When she cried,
my throat closed and I could almost feel her frustration and humiliation. When we began to sing, I think many of us
sang not only with her, but for her...she waited over thirty years to do what I
do every week.
Amanda Wagner
The Woman’s Bible
Nicely done.
More than anything else, what struck me about this reading is how very simple and yet so convincing are Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s logic skills. Though she does delve into some deep theological issues, she keeps her arguments to a level which can be read and understood by almost anyone who can read them.
In the introduction, she explained her reasons for undertaking such a project. She realized just how difficult it would be to go against something so ingrained in the traditions of the people. However, she was quick to explain that the same was thought of the laws of the government until somebody challenged them. If those laws could be changed, there was hope too for biblical tradition. Of course, she freely admitted that there was a lot more baggage to deal with when trying to do something as shocking as challenging the traditional interpretation of the Bible. “The sentimental feelings we all have for those things we were educated to believe sacred, do not readily yield to pure reason” (11). She responded to those women and men who refused to disagree with the text, saying, “Come, come, my conservative friend, wipe the dew off your spectacles, and see that the world is moving” (10).
I
admire
Though
little of her commentary is new to me, I find her remarks to say something
about Stanton herself. I especially
enjoyed the part in her commentary on chapter 10, where she observed that the
people on both sides of the issue are appealing to the very same God and
legislature (60). Though
As
a final note, I wonder why the editors chose to ignore the stories of Tamar and
Gary Cyr
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
4/1/08
In reading Stanton’s introduction, I was struck by her description of an event from her youth: that of a minister flaying his hands in the air frightening her about the pit of hell. Considering when she wrote, I believe that Dispensationalism was on the rise in this country. The fire and brimstone message would have had an impact on such a mind as Stanton; even at so young an age.
What is interesting about her view is how she seems to continue what began in Germany years before—a look at the interior spiritual life of an individual. She carries this theme forward by incorporating the spiritual and physical treatment women had experienced at the hands of patriarchy. She employs what seems an early type of form/textual criticism. She gives the reader a nuanced and fresh look at the etymology of certain words and phrases then moves to the female lens to observe the biblical scene at hand. It tells me that Stanton was not content with the biblical text and literature of her time.
Not content with the KJV bible or Vulgate, Stanton employs
her own board of “experts” in language and biblical study, especially
languages. This alone demonstrates that women
were moving into fields that were dominated by men. It is the roster that caught my attention
with the title of Rev. being used with women.
What denomination does this entail during this era? Usually Unitarian
Stanton’s reflection from a female perspective may be provocative for some, yet it lends itself credence. To witness a story from a different vantage point is to give it new life. I don’t believe she want to reinterpret biblical text merely for the sake of doing so. Nor do I believe she did so just to be provoking reaction. What she does is give the text an authenticity that dogma and tradition had layered over at the expense of women in general.
The challenge comes to the established church’s way of
selecting text to suit its own agenda.
Granted, some may say Stanton does likewise, but what she really does is
introduce a means of interpretation that allows the text to be seen from a
different angle. Considering that her
focus was on text that affected women, this method challenged how biblical
scholarship had been done as regards the female voice in scripture. I noted that she gives value to the first
creation story on one hand, but almost dismisses the second story as the
fabrication/exaggeration of biased redactors.
The Victorian principles of the day give way to women who are part of
the feminine nature of God; that they have as active a role in bringing forth
life as men—maybe more so. Her critique
of biblical interpretation being male dominated as a means of subjugating woman
flies in the face of established orthodoxy.
I found her critique of a staid German thinking pointed. To who was she
addressing this? Who were the leading
thinkers? Did they depart from the road
Schleiermacher had started down? I find
Stanton presenting a turn in biblical thought and scholarship that resembles
Schleiermacher during his time. What is
amazing is the quantity of books published.
The very fact that this material was generally circulated is testament
to the power of the press. I am sure
many had sought to suppress her work, much as the opponents of the reform
movement tried. In the end, Stanton’s
work creates a paradigm shift that continues to reverberate even today. Interesting reading and
very enjoyable. It challenged my own way of reading scripture from
a male prospective and tells me there are always two sides to a story. Very good point. Books were almost unstoppable.