Amy Jill Levine, one of the top New Testament scholars in the U. S. spoke at Otter last night. She is a professor of religion at Vanderbilt, and a practicing Orthodox Jew. She spoke on the subject of "Jesus and Women." She totally destroyed everything I have I ever read on the subject of repression of women by the Jews using examples from the New Testament I had never put together before. She said that far from being a feminist, Jesus was more interested in calling EVERYONE to his new way in which all were equal--a much loftier goal than restoring rights. I can't wait to hear her again. Wish the Zoe Conference could get her as a speaker.
I have always been uncomfortable with the whiny arguments about women's repression, although I have been known to use them. For the first time I saw Lydia as an independent business woman, Presilla (sp) free to travel about the country (as were Mary and John's the Baptist's mother).Then there was Cusa"s wife who traveled without him while supporting Jesus. She said of course Jewish men could speak to Jewish women--that is often how they got Jewish babies. And many of the women who supported Jesus had disposal incomes of their own.
What a breath of fresh air. Now about that equality thing......
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