Reconceiving Infertility : Biblical Perspectives on Procreation and Childlessness / Candida R. Moss, Joel S. Baden.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Moss, Candida, 1978- author.

Baden, Joel S., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Old Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Bible. New Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Human reproduction--Biblical teaching.

Human reproduction.

Childlessness in the Bible.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (343 p.)

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2015]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In the Book of Genesis, the first words God speaks to humanity are "Be fruitful and multiply." From ancient times to today, these words have been understood as a divine command to procreate. Fertility is viewed as a sign of blessedness and moral uprightness, while infertility is associated with sin and moral failing. Reconceiving Infertility explores traditional interpretations such as these, providing a more complete picture of how procreation and childlessness are depicted in the Bible.Closely examining texts and themes from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, Candida Moss and Joel Baden offer vital new perspectives on infertility and the social experiences of the infertile in the biblical tradition. They begin with perhaps the most famous stories of infertility in the Bible-those of the matriarchs Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel-and show how the divine injunction in Genesis is both a blessing and a curse. Moss and Baden go on to discuss the metaphorical treatments of Israel as a "barren mother," the conception of Jesus, Paul's writings on family and reproduction, and more. They reveal how biblical views on procreation and infertility, and the ancient contexts from which they emerged, were more diverse than we think.Reconceiving Infertility demonstrates that the Bible speaks in many voices about infertility, and lays a biblical foundation for a more supportive religious environment for those suffering from infertility today.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1. The Matriarchs as Models

Chapter 2. The Blessing and the Curse

Chapter 3. Mother Zion and the Eschaton

Chapter 4. The Son of God and the Conception of the New Age

Chapter 5. Chastity, Marriage, and Gender in the Christian Family

Chapter 6. Barrenness and the Eschaton

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Primary Source Index

Subject Index

Notes:

Minimal Level Cataloging Plus.

Pilot project,eBook available to selected US libraries only

Includes bibliographical references (pages [291]-311) and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

ISBN:

9781400873562

1400873568

OCLC:

914192295