Women’s voices

• Below is a partial list of biblical commentary written by women. I’ll update this now and then, but I’ve found it an interesting wee diversion exploring how much (how little) women are used in the modern commentary industry. See post on Feb 8 & 14.
• Here are a few random observations:

• Intriguing, that commentary series increasingly ask women writers to comment on Ruth and Esther. Is this a recognition that the genre of these two books needs a different approach, perspective, experience? If so, why not extend it beyond the facile assumption that biblical books with women’s names, featuring women should be commented on by women – can’t women do Romans – or Matthew – or Isaiah?
• Anent the above complaint, a leisurely trawl through bibliographies and forthcoming schedules doesn’t show too many women being invited to tackle Psalms, Isaiah, Romans. Schussler-Fiorenza on Revelation in the Hermeneia could be a tour de force, though.
• Several of those noted below are in series that constrain the approach to a pre-set format – usually analytic, textually atomistic, or artificially compartmentalising information. Is that a kind of male approach or am I guilty of simplistic stereotyping of the most reprehensible sort?
• Often some of the best biblical commentary is not in series, or is in a series that allows individuality in approach within reasonable editorial control. So Gail O’Day in the New Interpreter’s Bible is a thoughtful and spiritually alert exposition of John’s gospel; Carol Meyers on Exodus avoids the hang-ups about historicism and conveys the excitement of the biblical text; Carol Newsom on Job, again in the New Interpreter’s Bible, is in my view a model of theological reflection, rooted in deep exegetical study, and some of the most penetrating pastoral comment that takes Job’s experience with human seriousness.
• Of those forthcoming I’m looking for Beverly Gaventa on Romans – she’s been doing a course on Paul and Karl Barth, shared with Princeton Barthian scholar Bruce McCormack; and Judith Gundry-Volf, scheduled to do I Corinthians in the Word series – due when I am old!
• Just issued, the commentary on 1 Timothy by Elsa Tamez (pictured below) is just as provocative as her earlier Scandalous Message of James. As a liberation theologian, she is interested in issues of power, poverty and the liberty of Christ – and she comes at the biblical text with the assumption that the liberating Christ is a primary and controlling hermeneutical principle.
• An earlier and later series of The Feminist Companion to the Bible covers now most of the biblical books. They are important contributions to biblical study in their own right, and are collections of essays written from a feminist perspective. I’ve found those I’ve used fresh, asking different questions, providing different answers to the same questions. My one hesitation is that I think there is a difference between a woman writing a commentary and a woman writing biblical study from a self consciously feminist or womanist position. Is that a fair point?

Anyway here’s the list so far

Biblical Commentary by Women

Genesis – Kathleen O’Connor, Smyth and Helwys (Forthcoming – no date)

Exodus – Carol Meyers, New Cambridge Bible Commentary

            -Joy Davidman, Smoke on the Mountain (on the Ten Commandments

Numbers – Katherine Doob Sakenfeld, International Theological Commentary

Ruth, Katherine Doob Sakenfeld, Interpretation

Joan Chittister, The Story of Ruth. Twelve Moments in Every Woman’s Life

Samuel – Francesca Murphy, Brazos Theological Commentary (Forthcoming – date unknown)

Chronicles – Sara Japhet, Old Testament Library

Esther –  Karen Jobes, NIV Application Commentary

          – Joyce Baldwin, Tyndale Old Testament Commentary

Job – Carol Newsom, New Interpreter’s Bible

Ecclesiastes – Joan Chittister, There is a Season

Song of Solomon – Renita Weems, New interpreter’s Bible

Psalms – Ellen Charry and Anne Astell, Brazos Theological Commentary

Lamentations – Kathleen O’Connor, Lamentations and the Tears of the World

Ezekiel – Margaret Odell, Smyth and Helwys

Jonah – Phyllis Trible, New Interpreters Bible

– Rosemary Nixon, Message of Jonah. Presence in the Storm.

Luke – Loveday Alexander, Black’s NT Commentary

John – Gail O’Day, New Interpreter’s Bible

       – Marianne Meye-Thompson, New Testament Library Commentary Series (forthcoming 2008?)

Acts – Beverly Gaventa, Abingdon NT Commentary

       – Loveday Alexander, Black’s NT Commentary (Forthcoming)

Romans – Beverley Gaventa, New Testament Library Commentary Series (Forthcoming)

– Marva Dawn, Truly the Community. Romans 12 and How to be the Church

1 Corinthians – Linda Belleville, Word Biblical Commentary (Forthcoming 2010)

2 Corinthians – Linda Belleville, IVP New Testament Commentary

Ephesians – Pheme Perkins, Abingdon NT Commentary

Philippians – Morna Hooker, Black’s New Testament Commentary

                – Carolyn Osiek, Abingdon NT Commentary

                – Bonnie Thurston, Sacra Pagina

1 Timothy – Elsa Tamez, Struggles for Power in Early Christianity

James – Elsa Tamez, The Scandalous Message of James.

1 Peter – Karen Jobes, Baker Exegetical Commentary

I John – Judith Lieu, New Testament Library Commentary series (Forthcoming)

Revelation, Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza, Hermeneia (Forthcoming – date unknown)

– Marva Dawn, Joy in our Weakness. The Gift of Hope from the Book of Revelation.