Helpmates, Harlots, and Heroes, Second Edition: Women's Stories in the Hebrew Bible

by Alice Ogden Bellis

Book Overview

This best-selling book, now revised and updated, shares the work of many feminist biblical scholars who have examined women's stories for several years. These stories are powerful accounts of women in the Old Testament--stories that have profoundly affected how women understand themselves as well as men's perception of them. Here, Alice Bellis shares the research of feminist biblical scholarship during a quarter of a century, which renders a vast...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0664230288
• ISBN13: 9780664230289
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Post-feminism - as written by a woman

"Feminism" and its sister philosophy "womanism" are the main subjects of this new book by Alice Bellis. Not so oddly, it is an excellent critique of the problems that faced women of yesteryear. Better yet, it addresses the adjustments, both good and bad, that challenged women in the early days of seeking for equal rights and the challenges facing women tomorrow as they now find a world that has embraced many, but not all of the indictments that feminism avowed. It is these adjustments that the author speaks of in her piercing analysis of the woman's movement.

Excellent resource for studying Women of Hebrew Bible

This book was invaluable as a guide and resource for conducting the Women in the Bible Study group I'm currently leading. While somewhat academic, it provides various opinions and indepth information on the Women in the Hebrew Bible. I am indebted to Alice Ogden Bellis' fine work and applaud her effort to reclaim what we can about our foremothers. The bibliography is an additional treasure!

Fresh interpretations of familiar stories in the Bible

This book offers a comprehensive look at various modern interpretations of familiar biblical stories about women in the Old Testament. The distinguished author provides a helpful orientation to the diverstiy of methods of feminist interpretations applied to each biblical story. These interpretations directly oppose many of the standard explanation of these stories, so the insights gained by the reader are many and fresh. The book is excellent for lay readers wanting a feminist approach to the biblical stories of the Old Testament and for college and seminary students who need scholarly details. The book uses a balanced mix of a conversational style and scholarly methods to make it equally accessible to students, teachers, and general readers. I highly recommend it