Queer theory and the prophetic marriage metaphor in the Hebrew Bible / Stuart Macwilliam.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Macwilliam, Stuart.

Series:

Bible world (London, England)

BibleWorld

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Prophets--Gay interpretations.

Bible.

Bible. Prophets.

Marriage in the Bible.

Metaphor in the Bible.

Gay interpretations of sacred works.

Physical Description:

xvi, 247 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Sheffield, U.K. ; Oakville, CT : Equinox, 2011.

Summary:

McWilliam (theology, U. of Exeter) has made only minor corrections and literature updates to his 2006 PhD dissertation for the University of Exeter. In it, he subjects the sexual imagery used to describe the relationship between Yhwh and Judah/Israel--the marriage metaphor--in Jeremiah, Hosea, and Ezekiel to critique through the lens of queer studies. His topics include feminist and queer biblical encounters, whether the Israelites are male, queering Jeremiah, the unmanning of Hosea, the methodological potential of camp, and queering Ezekiel. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

Section I Methodological Foundations

Chapter 1 Queer Theory 9

1.1 Understanding Queer Theory 9

1.2 Sedgwick: Proto-Queer Theorist 10

1.3 Butler: The (im)Practicality of Performativity 13

1.3.1 Butler and Gender Trouble: Introduction 13

1.3.2 The well-known Butler: Gender Performativity and Drag 13

1.3.3 Perfecting Performativity: Butler and her Sources 14

1.3.4 Self and the Sexed Body 16

1.3.5 "Necessary Failures": Butler's Gender Politics 18

1.4 Conclusions 22

Chapter 2 Feminist and Queer Biblical Encounters 27

2.1 Introduction 27

2.2 Feminist Forebears and Queer Anticipations 27

2.2.1 Reception Criticism 30

2.2.2 Inception Criticism 32

2.2.3 Queer Anticipations 1: Gender Play 34

2.2.4 Queer Anticipations 2: "Raped Men As Well" 36

2.2.5 Dilemmas of Masculinity 40

2.3 Queering the Biblical Texts 45

2.4 Queer Convictions 50

2.5 A Note on Nomenclature 55

Section II Queer and Metaphor

Chapter 3 A Queer Theory of Metaphor 63

3.1 Introduction 63

3.2 Definitions 63

3.3 Metaphorical Attributes: Non-Substitution and Interaction 65

3.4 Metaphor and Ideology 67

Chapter 4 Are the Israelites Male? 70

4.1 Introduction 70

4.2 Examples of Gender Inclusivity 72

4.3 Examples of Gender Exclusivity 75

4.4 Discussion: Soldiers and Censuses 79

Chapter 5 Queering Jeremiah 84

5.1 Introduction: Two Questions 84

5.2 Question 1: Gender Polarities 85

5.3 Question 2: Identifying 92

5.4 A Suite in Three Movements 94

5.5 Conclusions 95

Chapter 6 Queering Hosea 97

6.1 Introduction: The Complexities of Hosea 97

6.2 The Anti-schema and Hosea 98

6.3 Yhwh's So-Called Feminine Qualities 100

6.4 Linearity in Hosea 103

6.4.1 Linearity: The Thematic Sequence of Chs. 1-3 Stage 1 105

6.4.2 Linearity: The Thematic Sequence of Chs. 1-3 Stage 2 107

6.4.3 Linearity: The Thematic Sequence of Chs. 1-3 Stage 3 109

6.4.4 Linearity: The Thematic Sequence of Chs. 1-3 Stage 4 110

6.5 The Unmanning of Hosea 111

6.6 The Three-Movement Model 114

6.6.1 Where Does the Third Movement Begin? 117

6.6.2 The Content of the Third Movement 119

6.6.3 Hos.2.22(20): $$$ 122

6.6.4 Hos.2.25(23): $$$ 123

6.6.5 Third Movement: Conclusion 124

6.7 Queering Hosea: Conclusions 125

6.8 Postscript: Methodological Reflections 129

Chapter 7 Queering Ezekiel, Part 1 135

7.1 Introduction 135

7.2 The Case of Masculine for Feminine Forms 136

7.3 Chance or Design? Rooker and the M for F Forms in Ezekiel 137

7.4 Chance or Design? Case Study 1: Living Creatures 139

7.5 Chance or Design? Case Study 2: Sheep & Shepherds 142

7.6 Chance or Design? Case Study 3: Dry Bones 145

7.7 Chance or Design in Ezekiel's Marriage, Metaphor: The Two Women 146

7.8 Re-reading Jeremiah and Hosea 150

7.8.1 Jeremiah 150

7.8.2 Hosea 153

7.9 Conclusions 154

Entr'Acte: An Orgy of the Ego: Reflections on the Methodology of Section III 157

Section III Queer and Camp

Chapter 8 The Methodological Potential of Camp 167

8.1 Introduction: A Telephone Conversation 167

8.2 Resolute Frivolity: Some Features of Camp 169

8.2.1 Camp, Gays and Effeminacy: Who Owns Camp? 169

8.2.2 Camp Stylistics 172

8.2.3 The Functions of Camp 173

8.3 A Camp Application 177

8.3.1 Introduction 177

8.3.2 'Reading' Ezekiel 180

Chapter 9 Queering Ezekiel, Part 2 184

9.1 Strange Flesh 184

9.2 Dirty Words? 184

9.3 Monstrous Meanings 186

9.4 Drastic Metaphor: Big Dicks in the Bible? 189

9.5 Broadening Out 190

9.6 First Performance: Sex Addicted 192

9.7 Second Performance: He knows the Secrets of the Heart 198

9.8 Conclusions 203

9.9 Excursus One: The Hidden Penis 205

9.10 Excursus Two: Oholibah's Disgust 206

Chapter 10 Conclusions 210

10.1 Introduction 210

10.2 Gender Slippages in Jeremiah 211

10.3 The Prophets Unmanned 212

10.4 The Third Movement 213

10.5 The Anti-Schema and Ezekiel: M for F forms 213

10.6 The Significance of the Subverted Metaphor 215

10.7 Ezekiel, Camp and Mae West 215.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

1845536738

9781845536732

9781845536725

184553672X

OCLC:

666405442

Publisher Number:

99945664471