Date of Award
12-31-1998
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Sacred Theology (STM)
Department
Exegetical Theology
Scripture References in this Resource
Exodus 2:7; Numbers 27:59; Exodus 2:1-10
Abstract
The scope of this thesis is feminist interpretations of the major female characters of Exodus: Shiphrah, Puah, Moses’ mother (Jochebed), Moses’ sister, Pharaoh’s daughter, Miriam, and Zipporah. I will demonstrate that feminists interpret the major female characters of Exodus in three general ways. First, some feminists interpret the major female characters of Exodus in proper contextual, grammatical fashion and end up with a more accurate portrayal of the women. For this thesis, the term “exegetical” will be the shorthand term for this type of interpretation. Second, other feminists interpret the major female characters in exegetical fashion, but then exaggerate the point(s) beyond what context and grammar can sustain in order to make the characters fit into feminist ideologies. I will call this type of interpretation “exaggerated.” Third, still other feminists perceive the text as so irredeemably “androcentric” that they ignore the text for the most part and, instead, simply read something into it that is neither contextually grammatically present, thereby conforming the text to feminist ideologies. I will call this type of interpretation “eisegetical.” In short, I will demonstrate that sometimes feminist interpretations provide insightful and faithful exegetical interpretations of the major female characters of Exodus. At other times feminists force the text, either by exaggeration or eisegesis, into conformity with feminist ideologies-particularly in relation to their interpretations of liberation in Exodus.
Recommended Citation
Ashmon, Scott, "Feminism and the major female characters of Exodus" (1998). Master of Sacred Theology Thesis. 494.
https://scholar.csl.edu/stm/494
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
