Feminist Biblical Interpretation. A Compendium of Critical Commentary on the Books of the Bible and Related Literature.

Klein, Ralph W.

Feminist Biblical Interpretation. A Compendium of Critical Commentary on the Books of the Bible and Related Literature. Edited by Louise Schottroff and Marie-Theres Wacker (Eerdmans, $80). This massive paperback book (more than 1,000 pages) records feminist insights on every book of the Bible, including the Apocrypha, selected pseudepigraphic works, and seven non-canonical works from early Christianity. Almost all the writers come from German-speaking countries. First published in 1998, it has gone through three German editions. In addition to the critique of misogyny, the authors also oppose Christian anti-Judaism, Western colonialism, and all forms of racism. The editors acknowledge that feminist interpretation has undergone a number of changes since the first publication of this compendium and mention the publication of a German inclusive translation of the Bible called Die Bibel in gerechter Sprache. A similar, though much shorter, compendium in the United States is found in the Women's Bible Commentary (3rd edition, 2012). No one dare ignore the substantial contributions of feminist scholars to our understanding of the biblical message. Among the translators are two ELCA Lutherans: Lisa E. Dahill of Trinity Lutheran Seminary and Everett R. Kalin of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.

Ralph W Klein

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago