Katie B. Edwards

What do people know about the Bible, and how much do they know? The media often discusses the worrying 'decline' in biblical literacy, but what does this really mean, and how can we measure this assumed 'decline'? How can we go about teaching 'biblical literacy', and about teaching teachers how to teach it? Rethinking Biblical Literacy explores the question of biblical literacy, examining the Bible's use, influence and impact in advertising, street art, poetry, popular erotic literature, Irish and UK secondary education, stand-up comedy and The Simpsons TV series to display the different types of literacy and knowledge of the Bible. Katie B. Edwards brings together several specialists in the cultural use, impact and influence of the Bible to examine the contested nature of biblical literacy and to explore the variety of ways of 'knowing' about the Bible. The picture created is one of a broad range and at times surprising depth of knowledge about what remains arguably the most influential collection of texts ever to be published.

Rethinking Biblical Literacy

Caroline Blyth

Emily Colgan

This volume considers the complex relationships that exist between Christianity, rape culture, and gender violence. Each chapter explores the various roles that Christian theologies, teachings, and practices have played in shaping contemporary understandings of gender violence and in sanctioning rape-supportive cultural belief systems and practices. Our contributors explore this topic from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including theology, gender and queer studies, cultural studies, pastoral care, and counseling. Together, the chapters in this volume testify to the considerable influence that Christianity has had, and continues to have, in directing conversations within the Christian tradition around gender violence and rape culture. They therefore invite readers to engage fruitfully in these conversations, fostering transformative dialogues with the Christian community about our shared responsibility to tackle the current global crisis of gender violence.

Christian Perspectives

Rape Culture, Gender Violence, and Religion

This book explores the Bible’s ongoing relevance in contemporary discussions around rape culture and gender violence. Each chapter considers the ways that biblical texts and themes engage with various forms of gender violence, including the subjective, physical violence of rape, the symbolic violence of misogynistic and heteronormative discourses, and the structural violence of patriarchal power systems. The authors within this volume attempt to name (and shame) the multiple forms of gender violence present within the biblical traditions, contesting the erasure of this violence within both the biblical texts themselves and their interpretive traditions. They also consider the complex connections between biblical gender violence and the perpetuation and validation of rape culture in contemporary popular culture. This volume invites new and ongoing conversations about the Bible’s complicity in rape-supportive cultures and practices, challenging readers to read these texts in light of the global crisis of gender violence.

Katie B. Edwards

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