The current return to spiritual values has spawned a surge of interest in the ancient goddess-based religions as a remedy to a long tradition of misogyny in the Western religions. But how accurate are these current representations of the goddess in polytheism? And did Judeo-Christian religion really turn its back on women? These are some of the questions that scholar and feminist Tivka Frymer-Kensky sets out to answer in this iconoclastic study of gender in religions past and present. Her argument, illustrated with fascinating accounts of myth and ritual dating back to the early days of Sumer, Assyria, and Greece, is that although polytheism did accord females an important role, the strict division between male and female actually served to keep women in a subordinate position. The goddesses were progressively "ghettoized": their sphere was eventually relegated to home and hearth, while male gods took over as patrons of wisdom and learning. This dualism was displaced by the Bible, which embraced a surprisingly egalitarian view of human nature in which women were not considered to be inherently inferior. In a provocative work of biblical scholarship on gender and sexuality, Frymer-Kensky shows that the ideal of monotheism may offer far more to us today than a return to the gender-based worldview of the goddess religions.

In the Wake of the Goddesses: Women, Culture and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth

Politics & Social Sciences

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva

Social Sciences

Random House Publishing Group

Four simple rules, amazing results--how wisdom from an overlooked biblical hero can change your life!&nbsp; &nbsp; Tikva Frymer-Kensky shows readers how a seemingly minor story in the first book of Samuel can teach them key lessons to dramatically improve their lives. Saul, abandoned by God, approaches a medium in the village of Endor to call up the spirit of Samuel. Though Saul had outlawed her craft, she helped him when he promised her safety. And after Samuel prophesied Saul's death, she showed the shaken king hospitality.&nbsp; &nbsp; Determination. Excellence. Caution. Benevolence. Four qualities of the "witch" of Endor will bring you success, even when the whole world stands against you. Are you ready to follow your dreams? To succeed when others tell you to give up? Embrace the wisdom of a little-known hero from the Bible--and see how it leads you to the life you were meant to live.

Wisdom from the Witch of Endor: Four Rules for Living

Self-Help

Success

Eerdmans

Reading the Women of the Bible takes up two of the most significant intellectual and religious issues of our day: the experiences of women in a patriarchal society and the relevance of the Bible to modern life.

Reading the Women of the Bible: A New Interpretation of Their Stories

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Schocken

A noted biblical scholar reinterprets the women of the Bible from a feminist point of view as seen in the context of both their own times and modern-day society, discussing the stories of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Ruth, Jezebel, Dinah, and others and examining the meaning of their lives and the themes of the stories. 10,000 first printing.

Women's Studies

Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic and unprecedented shift in Jewish–Christian relations, including signs of a new, improved Christian attitude towards Jews. Christianity in Jewish Terms is a Jewish theological response to the profound changes that have taken place in Christian thought. The book is divided into ten chapters, each of which features a main essay, written by a Jewish scholar, that explores the meaning of a set of Christian beliefs. Following the essay is a response from a second Jewish scholar and a Christian scholar. Designed to generate new conversations within the American Jewish community and between the Jewish and Christian communities, Christianity in Jewish Terms lays the foundation for better understanding. It was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Book of 2001.

Christianity In Jewish Terms (Radical Traditions)

Religion & Spirituality

Ochs, Peter

Singer, Michael

Novak, David

Sandmel, David

Marshall, Brice

Christian Books & Bibles

Basic Books

This book, developed from a popular symposia sponsored by the Biblical Archaeology Society and the Smithsonian Institution, offers readers exciting, new ways to deepen their appreciation and understanding of Biblical texts. Four outstanding scholars Phyllis Trible, Tikva Frymer-Kensky, Pamela J. Milne and Jane Schaberg look closely at a number of prominent women in the Bible, including Eve, Miriam and Mary Magdalene, as well as the men to whom they relate.

Feminist Approaches to the Bible: Symposium at the Smithsonian Institution September 24, 1994

Smithsonian Resident Associate Program

Biblical Archaeology Society

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Books by Frymer-Kensky, Tikva