The Biblical Mothers Deliver
The Chosen, the Saved, and the Disavowed
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: Cascade Books (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2022
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Publisher's Description
What kind of mother must a woman be to give birth to "chosen" or "saved" peoples? The many stories of biblical mothers found in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament are deeply concerned with this question and answer it in surprising and diverse ways. From Sarah, Abraham's wife, to Mary, the mother of Jesus, each mother embodies the type of woman her culture thought she had to be to produce a holy people set apart by God. The larger question of Klancher's book asks, to what end? What does it mean when different types of mothers are used to establish the value of some people over others? Her book explores this question and asks how the mothers' stories and their interpretation over the centuries have authorized diverse logics of sexual and racial difference that we live with today.
Endorsements (3)
“The Biblical Mothers Deliver is a provocation. To what extent are we accountable for the history of the interpretation of the Bible? How can we responsibly utilize stories from another time and place? How should we evaluate conflicting voices within a religious canon? Klancher’s close, honest, challenging readings force these questions upon us. You will be unable, after putting down her book, to think the same old things about the texts she examines.”
“Framed by poignant, clever concepts of ‘birthing Israel’s family’ and ‘mansplaining the mothers,’ Nancy Klancher uses Scripture and contemporary poetry to explore biblical stories of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible mothers. Writing accessibly, she reflects on sexuality, gender, motherhood, and ethnicity. This is a must-read for those interested in motherhood, female bodies, oppression, and centuries of biblical interpretation.”
“Klancher introduces us to the mothers of the Bible in clear and inventive ways. Most importantly, she begins a conversation with the issues affecting mothers of our current times. . . . The reader will encounter the hardships and wisdom of these biblical mothers and hear their voices in new ways as they continue to show mothers—and all others—ways to take a stand against the never-ending assault of patriarchy and misogyny.”
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