Vindicating the Vixens

Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible, Edited by Sandra Glahn

For quite a long and drawn out title, this book really packs a punch.  The contributors to this volume span a wide range from seminary professors to ministry and pastoral leaders, to bloggers and writers.  The book’s title Vindicating the Vixens, gives us a glimpse at the main thrust of the message, we have simply not understood the women of the bible and recapturing and honoring their place in the biblical record helps us see the multi-faceted nature of their lives. 

The story of Ruth captures the imagination and focus of its readers with an unparalleled story of redemption.  Many times we hone in on the way that Boaz takes Ruth under his wings and marries her amidst the peculiar customs of the time.  Yet, as Marnie Legaspi points out, Ruth is committed to her mother-in-law but also to great sacrifice.  Marnie points out some loyalties in the life of Ruth by mentioning that Ruth has:

Loyalty in location

Loyalty in lodging

Loyalty in people

Loyalty in religion

Loyalty in death (63).

Ruth thus committed to Naomi to be by her side, even unto death and to follow the God of Israel rather than the pagan deities of her birth.  This resolute conviction in action is none other than self-sacrifice at great cost to Ruth. 

Sarah Bowler in her interpretation of the scene with David and Bathsheba brings out in the text some key points regarding the way David acted towards her.  She writes, “Regardless of one’s interpretation, the text still portrays Bathsheba as a victim and David as the perpetrator of a crime.  Further, the biblical text suggest that Bathsheba did not agree to the sexual encounter with David and that, given David’s position of power, she was not in a position to choose…David did indeed use his position of power to rape Bathsheba.” (84).   Bowler indicates that textual and cultural studies indicate she was most likely in an enclosed courtyard, David was a “peeping Tom,” David sent his messengers to fetch her and that the text suggest David raped Bathsheba.  The power play involved her is enough to invoke this idea that David seized an opportunity and Bathsheba had no recourse to say no.

With many more forays into the lives of biblical women from Tamar to the Virgin Mary, this book is full of excellent commentary on these biblical portraits.  Of significance is the story of Tamar in which Carolyn Custis James outlines the dysfunctional family of Judah and calls for us to see Tamar in a different light.

Thanks to Kregel Academic for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.