Coe Thursday Forum explores women in the Hebrew Bible
Joseph E. McCabe Associate
Professor of Religion
Meira Kensky
Examine the representations of women in the Hebrew Bible with Joseph E. McCabe Associate Professor of Religion Meira Kensky. This Thursday Forum series begins by surveying the issues surrounding women in the Hebrew Bible while introducing interpretive strategies scholars have used to understand these texts — including an examination of Rebecca in the Book of Genesis.
Over the next two weeks, participants will be introduced to additional texts in the Hebrew Bible that highlighting how women appear in the Hebrew Bible — specifically examining “texts of terror” including the Book of Judges and those about women surrounding King David that show women being victimized by men and society.
This series will culminate in a discussion of the Bible’s predominantly negative representation of foreign women, including Jezebel, and the counter-narrative to that portrayal presented in the Book of Ruth.
Thursday Forum lectures are held in Kesler Lecture Hall in Hickok Hall on the Coe campus. Each session begins with coffee and pastries from 8:45-9:15 a.m., followed by the class until 11:30 a.m. Each series concludes with an optional luncheon on the final Thursday. Admission is $35 for a four-week course or $12 per week. Visit www.coe.edu/thursday-forum to register.
For the remainder of the 2018-2019 academic year, the Thursday Forum schedule includes:
- Women in the Hebrew Bible — Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28
- Urbanism to Save Us All: How Cities are Reshaping our Social and Physical Lives — March 7, 14, 21 and 28
- The Count, The Duke, The King and Glenn: Music of the Big Band and Swing Era — April 4, 11, 18 and 25
Coe values its location and relationship with the Cedar Rapids community and looks forward to providing insightful forum topics. Established in 1851, Coe has a national reputation for academic excellence enhanced by a student-centered, highly supportive campus environment. Coe’s success in offering superb academics and exciting co-curricular activities stems in large part from its location in a thriving urban setting that promotes student growth and success. As such, Coe welcomes the community to participate in this event.