Monday, October 13, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Where is the missing piece to the Mary and Martha puzzle?
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Summer Reading: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Book review of The
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
I grabbed a few books from “My Read Someday for Fun” pile; I was long overdue for reading this 1998 best seller. So, here I was enjoying an Alaskan cruise and engrossed in 1960s Belgian Congo. The younger generation should note this book of fifteen years ago, as well as those of us who have had it on the shelf unread. Kingsolver’s writing reminded me to give time to reading masterful narration. The Poisonwood Bible is an example of a fictional treatment of
issues that deeply concern me, especially the devastation that patriarchy
causes in society, family, and evangelism. Imagine a book that is both enlightenment
and enjoyment in the same package. Perfect for vacation reading.
The cool
glacial scenery passing by my window was quite dissonant with the hot African
landscape playing out in my head. The fictional portrayal of patriarchy, as created
by Barbara Kingsolver, confirms vividly the evil of subjugation of humans in
weaker positions worldwide. Domination of all colors is illustrated in this
book: imperialism, colonialism, economic disparity, political corruption, and environmental
destruction, to name a few. All this suffering is especially reprehensible when
allegedly endorsed by the Bible.
I am
particularly interested in the destruction of human spirits and souls by patriarchy,
and how it propels the characters in this commentary. Yet, where domination of
any kind exerts influence, abuse by males over females is sure to follow. The
story is told through the eyes of the five main female characters, four
daughters and their mother, who are given alternating chapters. The voice of the main
character, the man who wrecks such devastation, is never heard,
but his actions inflict pain in the words of his family.
Granted,
each character is a caricature. The daughters each have distinct personalities
that describe their reaction to the African culture in voices that are clearly
distinguishable. From oldest to youngest there is the vain superficial
daughter, the one who strains against female restrictions, the physically
disabled, underestimated daughter, and the youngest who still enjoys childhood.
The mother and wife is the prototypical suffering wife until she too realizes
her own strength to escape.
One
would hope that the father, Rev. Price who is a Southern Baptist missionary, is
actually the compendium of all possible atrocities represented by misguided
missionary activities directed to the Congo of 1959. Could one man really have
no redeeming qualities? We never hear his point of view. Only his wife retells
his WW II experiences which in his mind justify his dogmatic approach to saving souls. Rev. Price counts his success by the number of
baptisms he performs, regardless of cost. He dreams of showy baptisms in the
nearby river, but cannot comprehend the villagers’ aversion to entering the
river. He fails to appreciate the natives’ fear of the river where children are
regularly attacked by crocodiles. His only expressed regret over the death of
one daughter by snakebite is that he did not have the opportunity to use her
baptism as an example, hopefully mustering up more converts. In the end, each
member of his family is emotionally sacrificed, but the final chapters tell how
each survives into the future in their own ways.
Kingsolver
offers no answers, she only describes, as does all good literature. This story
requires the reader to come to their own conclusions. One should not guess if
these five female characters are “saved” or not. At the same time, I was also
reading Jimmy Carter’s new book, A Call
to Action: Women, Religion Violence, and Power. His thesis is that where
any form of violence is tolerated, it becomes more acceptable to exploit those who are
weaker. I recommend the two books together as summer reading, but much more challenging than typical vacation reading. .
Another
book that is a fictional portrayal of a dystopian patriarchal society is another older book, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
Can anyone recommend more titles that are set in hierarchical societies and the
resulting consequences? Take time to read some fiction during the last weeks of
summer!
Friday, June 27, 2014
Monday, June 2, 2014
Review of Mary and Martha by Judy Diehl
Blog Voices from Christians for Biblical Equality
Book Review: The New Perspective on Mary and Martha
The New Perspective on Mary and Martha by Mary Stromer HansonReviewed by Judith A. Diehl
Recently, as I was listening to a Christian radio station, the female announcer shared that she was feeling guilty about her busy life. She made reference to the biblical “story of Mary and Martha,” typically feeling at fault because she was not taking ample time to “sit at Jesus’ feet” properly. She went on to say that Martha had it wrong because she was more concerned about her chores than she was about being in the presence of the Lord. These two sisters are examples, one positive and one negative.
I drew a deep breath. My first reaction was shock at the self-reproach expressed, and then I was horrified to realize that a multitude of women were listening to the radio station, as I was, and were exposed to this inadequate and potentially damaging interpretation of a “familiar” New Testament story.
Mary Stromer Hanson’s recent publication is written for pastors, teachers, church leaders, and interested laypeople. It is particularly enlightening for Christian women and proves to be a valuable teaching tool as well as a call to ministry for women. As a teaching tool, Hanson’s book demonstrates that we must learn to use good hermeneutical methods to understand biblical characters and their stories correctly. As a call to ministry, Hanson has challenged women to see both Mary and Martha as different role models than we have previously been taught.
Hanson is right: Mary and Martha “have become a cliché over the centuries. The mere mention of these two names brings up visions of sisters squabbling over the kitchen work” (3). Over the years, laypeople and biblical scholars alike have stereotyped the Bethany sisters into erroneous “role models” for Christian living—one sister is vilified while the other is complimented. Such interpretations have cast unnecessary burdens on women who carry around an armload of guilt because they have incredible responsibilities to attend to in this life and are unable to spend a great deal of time “sitting at the feet of Jesus.” Hanson’s book is a much-needed starting point in the process of unlearning what we thought we knew about Mary and Martha and a relearning process as it pertains to the New Testament narratives. Certainly, a fresh look and a new perspective on these characters are overdue.
Mary Hanson has employed both good history and good hermeneutics. She opens with a historical reflection on past Christian interpretations of several significant, recognizable narratives in the New Testament: Luke 7:36–50 and 10:38–42, and John 11:1–3 and 17–44. Since recorded exchanges between women and Jesus are unusual in the Gospels, these accounts serve as valuable paradigms. However rare these occasions may be, we also recognize that the name “Mary” occurs in the New Testament with such frequency that often we confuse or combine characters. It is not uncommon for Christian readers and interpreters to conflate various gospel stories, as with that of Mary and Martha. Hanson has investigated the historical and cultural background to help us understand the settings and characters. Of considerable interest is her investigation concerning the location of the community known as Bethany.
Hanson is thorough in her investigation of the New Testament texts, giving adequate consideration to literary features, including authors and intended audiences, motifs, dramatic elements, and character development within the plots of each story. While Hanson points out significant “nitty-gritty” Greek features found in Luke’s narratives, her conclusions and explanations are clear enough for the non-Greek reader to follow. We learn, in fact, that the Greek indicates that “she [Martha] had a sister being called Mary who also” (kai) sat at Jesus’s feet (Luke 10:39). This implies that both Martha and Mary were sitting at Jesus’s feet as disciples to “hear his word” (27). The discussion of the Greek word for “service,” diakonia (Luke 10:40), is meticulous and accurate. This word does not limit Martha to kitchen duties, but can refer to “service of the word.” In Acts 6:1, diakonia connotes the “daily serving” of food, while, in Acts 6:4, it references “ministry of the word” (29). It is completely unwarranted to say that Martha fusses at Jesus because she needs help in the kitchen, and only Mary is doing “the right thing” by learning from him.
This book serves as a reminder that, if we study the literary narratives of the Bible carefully, we gain better insight into major themes and emphases. Careful study of plots and character development gives us clues to an author’s intended purpose and focus. We may realize that an author can use a surprise ending or interesting disclosure by a character to drive home certain truths. Interpreters have wondered if we are looking at four women—or is it just one woman? In the two passages in Luke and two in John, we see images of women superimposed upon one another. It may be startling to consider the suggestion some posit that the well-behaved, angelic Mary in Luke 10:38–42 and the “woman who had lived a sinful life in that town” (NIV) of Luke 7:36–50 may be one and the same woman. Who is that cryptic character in John 11:2? Is she the same woman we see in Luke’s gospel, and/or the same woman who cries with Jesus in John 11:32–33?
Hanson takes on the challenge of straightening out the whole picture for us. More importantly, she has painted a new picture of the gospel characters to show real, living women who care and cry and serve and follow Jesus. Martha cares for the welfare of others; she opens her home as a ministry to outsiders while managing to minister to those within her own family. Mary has her own ministry: public evangelism and discipleship. The welcome “new perspective” of Mary and Martha is an encounter with women who are called to teach, to learn, to serve, and to minister in Jesus’s kingdom. In her own words, Hanson wants us to know that “There is so much more to Mary and Martha!” (133).
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2014 issue of Priscilla Papers, titled “Egalitarian Perspectives on Historical Figures.” If you like what you read, consider subscribing or purchasing a CBE membership.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Review of Bold Girls Speak
Book Review: Bold Girls Speak
Bold Girls Speak by Mary Stromer HansonReviewed by Ruth Burton
This book is a wonderful collection of stories written for a young audience about girls in the Bible who dared to either speak up or work in difficult situations. The author has added beautiful fictional details to the stories so that the reader can imagine what life was like for these girls. She really gives the reader a sense of what the context was for these often-told stories. It’s clear that she did a lot of research on the culture of the time.
I especially liked the background on Rhoda, the servant girl who answered the door when Peter was knocking to be let in. I got a richer understanding of what it could have been like for a young Gentile girl who was a recent convert to Christianity and living in the new Christian community. I imagined with the author how life was difficult for the community as they were trying to assimilate the new Gentile believers into their community despite profound differences in culture. This is very interesting as we look at church today and how people struggle to adjust to differences in our own culture.
The book highlights ten different stories, each with the Scripture references to go with it. There are also additional features such as questions and points of reference at the end of each chapter. These alone could encourage many lively and thoughtful discussions for a Sunday school class or home school.
The stories would be best read by the younger child with the questions guided by an adult. There are also many helps at the end of the book such as lesson plan ideas, a matching quiz, and a stage play. My own girls would have loved acting out the play!
Adults will learn, as I did, many interesting facts about the times and places of these Bible stories. This book has the potential to encourage young girls to see great role models in these often-overlooked girls. If God put them in the Bible, then it must be important for us to study!
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