Book Giveaway time again! I’m featuring a fascinating book about the women of the Bible: Vindicating the Vixens.
Each chapter is written by a different scholar. Sandra Glahn is the general editor. Just check out some of the intriguing chapter titles:
- Eve: The Mother of all Seducers?
- Sarah: Taking Things into Her own Hands or Seeking to Love?
- Deborah: Only When a Good Man Is Hard to Find?
- Huldah: Malfunction with the Wardrobe-Keepers’ Wife
That’s only a small sample of the women this book explores. Also included are Tamara, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, Vashti, and others. This book is not only a gripping read, it’s something you’ll refer back to for reference.
An interview with Sandra Glahn, General editor of Vindicating the Vixens
Q: Sandra: Give us a fast summary of Vindicating the Vixens.
Bathsheba, Tamar, Rahab, Hagar, and the Samaritan woman at the well—were they really “bad girls” of the Bible or simply women whose situations we’ve misunderstood? In the INDIE-award finalist book Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible, sixteen contributors take a closer look at the stories of these and other women. Some of the stories are especially relevant in light of #MeToo.
Q: Vindicating the Vixens is a collaboration written by an international team of contributors. How did the concept and execution of the book come together?
The book’s been on my heart for 10+ years. As I studied the biblical text and cultural backgrounds at the doctoral level, I saw that Mary Magdalene was not a former prostitute. Bathsheba did not set out to seduce David. And the woman Jesus met in Samaria could not have dumped five husbands—women couldn’t go to court without a man. More likely, she had been widowed. As I read works of others across the world, I wanted to bring all this content together, including perspectives from a variety of ethnicities.
Q: Why is it important to re-examine what the Bible says about these women?
First, because we’ve had a tendency to blame victims (e.g., Bathsheba) and miss power differentials (e.g., Vashti, Esther). And that affects how we’ve viewed women.
Also, there has been an explosion of information about backgrounds. What was the average life expectancy? Did first-century women cover their hair, and if so, when and why? What behavior was considered masculine and feminine? The internet and translation software has made it possible for scholars across the world to have access to each other and to sources living and dead. Also, the makeup of the scholarship pool is much more diverse. And people from underrepresented groups see what many in privileged positions have missed—like how we’ve tended to side with Sarah, even when she is mistreating Hagar.
Q: Some women in the Bible most certainly fall into the category of “bad girls.” How do those women differ from the ones discussed in the book?
Right! Our goal is not to vindicate women who did evil—such as Jezebel who lied and had someone killed over property or Potiphar’s wife who tried to seduce Joseph and had him thrown in jail. We are looking at women wrongly vilified.
Take Bathsheba, for example. There is nothing in the text that suggests she consented to physical contact with David and certainly not that they “had an affair.” The text says she was “washing” herself—which can mean she was washing her hands. What we know about power differentials also suggests that when we consider a king’s authority over the wife of one of his soldiers, we need to stop making Bathsheba responsible. That is not how the author of the story tells it. The Bible says David saw her washing, wanted her, and sent for her—sent men, plural. Then he had her husband killed, and she grieves.
What happens when we blame her instead of placing the responsibility where the author does? We can end up blaming victims of sex crimes—making the church an unsafe place. We also end up teaching that men are helpless and women must take responsibility for men’s actions. What an insult to men! We women are called to love our brothers, but we are not called to take responsibility for how they think and what they do.
All author profits go to benefit the work of the International Justice Mission—which ministers to the sexualized, vilified, and marginalized.
Dr. Sandra Glahn is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. She is the author or coauthor of more than twenty books including the Coffee Cup Bible Study series.
- Twitter: @sandraglahn
- email for Sandra: www.aspire2.com
This book sounds fantastic – what a great perspective! Looking forward to reading it!
JJ: thanks so much for participating in the drawing! It is a fantastic book!
Thanks for your kind words.
I would love to win a copy of this book! This would be such a helpful resource!
Chelsey: thank you for taking the time to enter the drawing. God bless you!
We do hope it’s a resource people find helpful. Each chapter has discussion questions so people can think more about what they’ve read.
Yes please 🙂
Thanks for being a part! I’ve entered you in the drawing!
Thanks for entering!
This book is one that I look forward to reading!
Thank you, Carly, I trust it will bless you whether you win it or purchase it. Thanks for stopping by!
Hey, friend! Thanks for stopping by and entering!
I’m curious about this book. The concept of masculinity and femininity in Biblical times has never been uncovered for me. I’m sure it’s different than our view today. For me to understand these women, I need to understand their culture.
Hi Debbie, I always appreciate you reading and participating! You’re in!
You are absolutely right. First-century Greco-Roman views of what was masculine and feminine differed a lot from what we westerners in the twenty-first century consider gender ideals. Here is the URL for a blog post I wrote about that.
https://blogs.bible.org/engage/sandra_glahn/whats_a_man-card_got_to_do_with_it
Congratulations, Debbie. You are the winner! I’ll pass along your contact info to Sandra. Let me know if there are any problems connecting with her. Thank you again for being a part of the drawing! I always enjoy hearing from you.
Sounds like a really good book. thanks for giving us a chance to win
Noelle, I’m always thrilled to feature great books. I’m always happy to see you stop by so I can enter you into the drawing!
Thanks for your kind words.
I would love to read this with my wife.
Caleb, what a great idea. I’m sure it will bring wonderful interaction between you. I’ve entered in your name.
Caleb, that sounds like a great idea. So many people think the women’s stories are for women only, but they are for women and men as are the stories of David, and Daniel, Moses, and Aaron… May your tribe increase. 🙂
Sounds like a really good book. thanks for giving us a chance to win
I would love to win a copy of this book! This would be such a helpful resource!
This book sounds fantastic – what a great perspective! Looking forward to reading it!
Teresa, I agree. It’s the kind of book you read through but also keep on hand for reference and inspiration. Thanks for entering!
“Fantastic.” What a great word. Thanks for your enthusiasm.
Thank you for entering me for a chance to win this book! Would love to read it!!
Johanna, I sure appreciate your participation. Blessings to you!
Thanks for your encouragement, Johanna.
I watched a DTS panel on this book earlier this spring and have been wanting to read it ever since! Yes, please enter me in the drawing. Thank you for featuring this great resource.
Abigail: how fun to know you were already familiar with Sandra’s book and would be interested in it. I’ve put you into the drawing.
This book sounds great! Would love to win a copy!
Katrina, thank you for taking the time to stop by and enter! You’re in!
Looking forward to this!
Hi Renea, God bless you for reading my blog post. I’ve put your name into the drawing.
what an important book.
I agree, Emily. It is an important book. Thanks for entering!
Would love to read this book. Thank you for the opportunity.
Thank you, Karen, for stopping by and being a part of the drawing. I know you’ll love reading this book whether you win it or purchase it. God bless you!
I am enjoying her Colossians from the Coffee Cup series. I’d love to be entered to win this book!
Jillian, I’m so glad you’re already familiar with Sandra’s wonderful works. I’ve entered you into the drawing. Hope you’ll stop by again sometime!
This is a fantastic book. Really enjoyed it!
Thank you for commenting, Anne. I know Sandra will appreciate your affirming words and I appreciate you stopping by!