A hermeneutics of cispicion challenges cisnormative presuppositions that shape and, at times, occlude the variations in gender and sex exhibited by key characters in the ancestral narrative of Genesis 12–50. It charts the progression from Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutics of suspicion, through liberation, feminist and queer approaches. Focusing on Deryn Guest's queer and trans hermeneutics, Henderson-Merrygold then offers a new strategy for reading against fixed, binary gender assumptions, where a character's sex always matches that assigned at birth. The initial case study addresses Sarah, who is the proto-matriarch of the ancestral narratives in Genesis. Masculinities contrast with femininities, and Sarah's own agency makes the picture of a consistent gender hard to identify. By closely reading the text, different facets of Sarah's story emerge to emphasise how much the narrative directs the reader towards a cisnormative reading. However, Henderson-Merrygold shows it is not only the images of Sarah as feminine woman and mother that remain visible. The subject of the second case study, Esau, is regularly judged to be a hypermasculine character due to his bodily appearance, but repeatedly fails to fulfil the expectations related to that appearance. Though often condemned as a poor example of (hyper)masculinity, a cispicious reading identifies a richer and more nuanced figure. Attending to Esau's actions, his rejection of the gendered expectations appears intentional, allowing him to settle more comfortably into his own identity. This project advocates for, and demonstrates the value of, creative, interpretations of biblical texts that challenge both malestream and feminist gender assumptions.

lgrsnf/Introducing a Hermeneutics of Cispicion Reading Sarah and Esau’s Gender (Failures) Beyond Cisnormativity (The Library of Hebrew BibleOld Testament Studies) [3954248].pdf

Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.

T&T Clark; Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury Academic

Cassell

The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Cover
Halftitle page
Title page
Copyright page
CONTENTS
Introduction MAKING SENSE OF FAILURE AND FAILING TO MAKE SENSE
Of Manly Men, Womanly Women – and Me
Suspicious Encounters with Genderscapes in Genesis and Beyond
Tracing a Genealogy from Suspicion to Cispicion
Introducing a Hermeneutics of Cispicion
Chapter 1 GENDER FAILURE AND INDECENCY
Whimsy: Jack Halberstam
Indecency: Marcella Althaus-Reid
Indecent Whimsy
Building a Diverse Genderscape
Conclusion
Chapter 2 FROM HERMENEUTICS OF HETERO-SUSPICION TO CISPICION
Deryn Guest: A Brief Scholarly History
When Deborah Met Jael: Lesbian Biblical Hermeneutics
Looking Lesbian at the Bathing Bathsheba
From Gender Reversal to Genderfuck: Reading Jael Through a Lesbian Lens
Beyond Feminist Biblical Studies
Transgender, Intersex and Biblical Interpretation
Conclusion
Chapter 3 SARAI AND THE PROBLEM OF CISNORMATIVE EXPECTATIONS1
Introducing Sarai’s Femininity – Genesis 11:29–12:20
Showcasing Masculinity – Genesis 16; 18
Retconning Sarah’s Gender – Genesis 20–21
Conclusion
Chapter 4 ESAU: MORE THAN JUST A BODY THAT FAILS
Encountering Esau(’s Body) – Genesis 25:19–34
Failing to Perform and Performing to Fail – Genesis 25:29–34
A Rebellious Interjection – Genesis 26:34–35
A Man Mocked: Family-based Cissexist violence in Genesis 27:1–46
A Nod Towards Decency? – Genesis 28:6–9
A Life Beyond Constraints of Family and Body – Genesis 33:1–17
Conclusion
CONCLUSION
Cispicious Achievements
Growing Cispicion
A Fantastic Genderscape?
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX OF REFERENCES
INDEX OF AUTHORS AND KEY THEMES

2024-07-12