Tamar's Tears

Synopsis: Evangelical and feminist approaches to Old Testament interpretation often seem to be at odds with each other. The authors of this volume argue to the contrary: feminist and evangelical interpreters of the Old Testament can enter into a constructive dialogue that will be fruitful to both parties. They seek to illustrate this with reference to a number of texts and issues relevant to feminist Old Testament interpretation from an explicitly evangelical point of view. In so doing they raise issues that need to be addressed by both evangelical and feminist interpreters of the Old Testament, and present an invitation to faithful and fruitful reading of these portions of Scripture. Endorsements: "Anyone who thinks that an 'evangelical feminist' is an impossibility--and especially an evangelical feminist who affirms the importance of the Old Testament--will need to engage with these thoughtful essays. Taking seriously the twin challenges of biblical authority and contemporary feminism, these essays not only chart a way through contested texts with clarity, they also model a way ahead for evangelical feminism that is truly inclusive." -David G. Firth St. John's College, Nottingham "Tamar's Tears is a stimulating and engaging collection of essays, which hits all the hot-button OT passages for both feminist and evangelical hermeneutics. The commitment to engage rather than combat is not only refreshing but necessary at a time when many evangelicals are looking for more compelling paradigms for gender relations. This book moves the conversation forward." -Peter Enns Independent Scholar and Writer "Tamar's Tears provides excellent examples of interacting with, learning from, and critiquing differing positions. Readers will find consistently good scholarship, integrity, and a love for and trust in the Bible as God's Word. No reader, whatever their starting perspective, will agree, or for that matter disagree, with everything here, but all will be stimulated and challenged to look again and think again about what the Bible (and feminist theology) actually says." -Mary Evans London School of Theology Author Biography: Andrew Sloane is Lecturer in Old Testament and Christian Thought at Morling College (affiliated with the Australian College of Theology). He is author of At Home in a Strange Land: Using the Old Testament in Christian Ethics and On Being a Christian in the Academy: Nicholas Wolterstorff and the Practice of Christian Scholarship.