Gender and Methodology of Text Interpretation: Reflecting on Schüssler Fiorenza's Hermeneutical Strategies in Rereading the Sacred Text

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Assistant Professor of Women's Studies Department, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran

10.30465/ws.2024.43010.3691

Abstract

Critics of traditional theology, particularly feminists, have turned their attention to reinterpreting the sacred text from a feminine perspective. By doing so, feminist theologians aim to provide a fresh outlook on the human relationship with God, drawing from women's experiences within Western religious and intellectual traditions. This approach has led to the scrutiny of the historically male-centered philosophical, and theological foundations in the history of philosophy and theological thought. Consequently, gender has emerged as an explicit or implicit element in interpretations of religious texts. This research focused on the methodology employed by Schüssler Fiorenza, in order to understand the role of gender and hermeneutics within her approach. the findings of this research revealed Fiorenza utilized a critical and rhetorical hermeneutical method to challenge the masculine interpretation of the sacred text. She established a foundation for a new feminine reading by constructing positive and conceptual frameworks derived from the Bible. Furthermore, Fiorenza traced the transformation of understanding by departing from male historical-theological approaches and incorporating female agency. It is important to note that Fiorenza's emphasis on the diversity of femininity in reconstructing a contextualized and gender-inclusive theology did not imply a relativistic approach to knowledge or exclusive adoption of feminist epistemology

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History

  • Receive Date: 29 September 2022
  • Revise Date: 21 January 2023
  • Accept Date: 13 March 2023

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