Wholly woman, holy blood : a feminist critique of purity and impurity / edited by Kristin De Troyer ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

De Troyer, Kristin.

Series:

Studies in antiquity and Christianity

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Women--Religious aspects--Congresses.

Women.

Menstruation--Religious aspects--Congresses.

Menstruation.

Blood--Religious aspects--Congresses.

Blood.

Purity, Ritual--Congresses.

Purity, Ritual.

Feminism--Religious aspects--Congresses.

Feminism.

Feminism--Religious aspects.

Blood--Religious aspects.

Menstruation--Religious aspects.

Women--Religious aspects.

Genre:

Conference papers and proceedings.

Physical Description:

xiv, 250 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Harrisburg, PA : Trinity Press International, [2003]

Summary:

This is the first book to take a broad interdisciplinary approach to the relationship between female blood and issues of purity and impurity. Well-known women scholars examine blood and purity laws, especially as those laws have been passed down in the biblical literature. These scholars work with different texts, ranging across the biblical, classical, patristic, medieval, and modern, with approaches varying from historical critical to postmodern.

Kristin De Troyer (Claremont) asks whether blood is a threat to holiness or a step toward another holiness. Judith Ann Johnson (Claremont) explores the shedding of blood as the sanctifying rite of heroes. Anne-Marie Korte (The Netherlands) takes an anthropological look at female blood rituals. Kathleen O'Grady (Toronto) analyzes the woman with a discharge of blood in light of menstrual prohibitions in the Hebrew Bible. Deborah Ellens (Claremont) offers a challenging reading of Leviticus 15. Mayer I. Gruber (Beer Sheva, Israel) examines Qumran law and halachic sources dealing with women and pollution. Kathleen P. Rushton (Brisbane, Australia) offers a feminist reading of the story of the woman in childbirth in John 16:21. Jennifer Schultz (Toronto) explores doctors, philosophers, and the Christian Fathers on menstrual blood. Susan K. Roll (Buffalo, New York) surveys early patristic and medieval texts dealing with the churching of women after childbirth. Grietje Dresen (The Netherlands) examines the churching of new mothers in the Roman Catholic tradition.

Contents:

1. The Semantics of Taboo: Menstrual Prohibitions in the Hebrew Bible / Kathleen O'Grady 1

2. Menstrual Impurity and Innovation in Leviticus 15 / Deborah Ellens 29

3. Blood: A Threat to Holiness or toward (Another) Holiness? / Kristin De Troyer 45

4. Purity and Impurity in Halakic Sources and Qumran Law / Mayer I. Gruber 65

5. The Woman in Childbirth of John 16:21: A Feminist Reading in (Pro)creative Boundary Crossing / Kathleen P. Rushton 77

6. Doctors, Philosophers, and Christian Fathers on Menstrual Blood / Jennifer Schultz 97

7. The Old Rite of the Churching of Women after Childbirth / Susan K. Roll 117

8. The Better Blood: On Sacrifice and the Churching of New Mothers in the Roman Catholic Tradition / Grietje Dresen 143

9. Female Blood Rituals: Cultural-Anthropological Findings and Feminist-Theological Reflections / Anne-Marie Korte 165

10. Shedding Blood: The Sanctifying Rite of Heroes / Judith Ann Johnson 189.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-243) and index.

ISBN:

1563384000

OCLC:

50410210