Sex, gender roles and sexuality in Ancient Israel
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
Course Code: RC804
Duration: 5 sessions (over 5 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Center for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
- to introduce students to the issues associated with the study of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible texts concerning women, and texts which have affected women’s lives;
- to raise students’s awareness of a wide range of feminist hermeneutics and to enable students to understand the variety in which feminist scholars have come to read and understand these texts;
- to enable students to engage in a close study of the set texts, with a view to critically evaluate the readings which have been made of these texts.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
Session 1 will focus on introduction to the course: what do we mean by sexuality and gender in the Hebrew Bible? How do we know? We will be looking at sources and methods of interpretation e.g. archaelogy; sociology; anthropology.
Sesion 2: Setting up the scene: Adam and Eve as blueprint.
Session 3: The politics of fertility.
Session 4: Celebrating human sexuality in Song of Songs?
Session 5: Is there pornography in the Bible?
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- understand the roles of women in the ancient world
- recognise the multiple voices within the texts, and to assess their implications for feminist readings
- assess critically the contribution of 21th century scholarship on issues of gender and sexuality on the Bible.
- evaluating your own responses to the texts.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is open to all who are interested in the subject. An open mind is essential.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will be taught through PowerPoint presentations, class discussion, pair and group work. Reading source material every week is encourage in order to foster active participation.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Resources will be provided and shared in Google Classroom.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You may be interested in other courses by Ann Jeffers.
Dr Ann Jeffers taught Biblical Studies (Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism) at Trinity College Dublin and Heythrop College, University of London for 30 years. She is now Research Fellow at Roehampton University. Her research interests, and publications are in the field of magic and divination in the Bible and the ancient world, feminism and reception history of the Bible mostly in literature and the visual arts. She also belongs to an interdisciplinary research group, ‘Media and Religion’.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
