Mark your calendars:
Thursday, January 17th at 9:30AM in Swift Hall Common Room – Breakfast and conversation with Professor Esther Hamori from Union Theological Seminary
Monday, January 28th at 4PM in Swift 400 – Charles Huff, PhD student in NELC, presents a paper entitled, “Sabbath and Death”
Tuesday, February 12th at 4:30PM in Swift 106 – Professor Fishbane will present a paper entitled, “Biblical Hermeneutics and Philosophical Theology: A Jewish Model.” Professor Rosengarten and Bevin Blaber, PhD student in Philosophy of Religion, will respond. A reception will follow. Co-Sponsored with the Jewish Studies Workshop.
Monday, February 25th at 4:30PM in Swift 201 – Kelli Gardner, PhD student in Hebrew Bible, will present a paper entitled, “‘Drink Water from Your Own Cistern’: Images of Female Sexuality and Autonomy in Proverbs and the Song of Songs.” Kristel Clayville, PhD candidate in Ethics, will respond. Co-Sponsored with the Theology Workshop.
Abstract:
Proverbs 1-9, 31, and the Song of Songs reflect an analogous understanding of proper female behavior and authority, and establish similar regulations and controls over female sexuality. However, due to their divergent agendas and perspectives, these are presented differently. Proverbs uses the image of the Strange Woman to demonstrate the evils of promiscuous women, while presenting one’s own wife as a satisfying and fertile lover. By borrowing tropes depicting female sexuality from the Song of Songs, Proverbs is able to present the dual nature of the Strange Woman – seductive but dangerous – while reminding participants its audience of the utter satisfaction one can have in one’s own wife. Thus, Proverbs artfully reinforces the social conventions regarding female sexuality by advising its male audience to drink only from one’s own cistern!
Friday, March 8th at 1:30PM in Swift 106 – Jacqueline Vayntrub, PhD candidate in NELC, will present a paper entitled, “The Idea of Mashal: Aesthetics and Biblical Poetry.” A light, Mediterranean lunch will be provided.