JDS 211LEC—Sex, Gender, and the Bible

What is the Bible? What sorts of stories does it tell, and why? In this class we’ll explore biblical narratives, not just in terms of what they say, but in terms of what they ask, and why they do. For, on the one hand, it is a collection of narratives (often conflicting) about the history of a people. On the other, it raises fundamental questions about human nature, our relation to the divine, gender, sexuality, and our models for family and society. Asking these questions all along, the Hebrew Bible begins with a story of embodied, affective, and sexualized relationships between human and divine, and it ends with them too. In some ways, this course tells the story of what happens in between, and how this matters to the study of religion, gender, and sexuality.What is the Bible? What sorts of stories does it tell, and why? In this class we’ll explore biblical narratives, not just in terms of what they say, but in terms of what they ask, and why they do. For, on the one hand, it is a collection of narratives (often conflicting) about the history of a people. On the other, it raises fundamental questions about human nature, our relation to the divine, gender, sexuality, and our models for family and society. Asking these questions all along, the Hebrew Bible begins with a story of embodied, affective, and sexualized relationships between human and divine, and it ends with them too. In some ways, this course tells the story of what happens in between, and how this matters to the study of religion, gender, and sexuality. This course is the same as GGS 210 and course repeat rules will apply. Students should consult with their major department regarding any restrictions on their degree requirements.