Real Bible Rob
I am a Presbyterian USA minister who interprets the Bible in all of its messy and varied voices. I teach and preach spiritual growth to people who want an open and affirming Christianity. My social media tagline is "People say lots of things about the Bible that aren't really there."
My full-length sermons and live stream are available on YouTube: @robchrist8999 and @edmondspresbyterian132
Contact me at: epc-pcusa.org, pastorepc@frontier.com
Real Bible Rob
Jezebel Spirit and diminishing women, 2 Kings 9:30-37, Esther 1:10-20
There is no more painful label for women than being called a Jezebel. It contains all the condemning, cursing, and slut shaming you can imagine. "Jezebel Spirit" is a frequently used racial slur in some churches. Jezebel was a foreign woman, likely forced into a royal marriage with a weak husband, which was bad enough. Still, she became the scapegoat for a whole nation; everything bad has been laid on her for millennia. Does she deserve it? Queen Vashti has a marginally better reputation, and her legacy didn't turn into a curse of all Israel like Jezebel's, but she was also a strong woman condemned for taking charge. Does she deserve what happened to her? I compare these two women and what it says about weak men looking for a scapegoat. While Jezebel did many evil things, her real sins seem to have been being a foreigner, a strong woman, and being the Queen of Israel instead of Judah. I talk about how these women are a touchstone for Womanist Theology.
Reference:
"Womanist Midrash, Vols 1 & 2" by Wilda C. Gafney, Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School
Other womanist authors include: Dr. Angela Parker, Dr. Renita Weems, Dr. Mitzi Smith
#jezebel #jezebelspirit #vashti #womanist #theology #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa