Full Description
In this volume, Deborah Appler and Terry Ann Smith offer a sustained investigation and feminist critique that move beyond traditional historical and theological interpretations of Ezra-Nehemiah. Their intersectional analysis engages themes of gender, power, economics, and social justice. Tensions between group inclusion and exclusion are evident in Ezra-Nehemiah, and the authors bring attention to the complexities associated with identity formation and boundary-making for a repatriated community. Their volume amplifies often overlooked voices in the text and offers insight into how issues of faith, marginalization, and communal solidarity complicate what it means to "come home." Their collaborative analysis of Ezra-Nehemiah demonstrates how ancient and modern communities grapple with community formation and identity amidst ever-evolving social and cultural challenges.
Contents
Contents
List of Abbreviations vii
List of Contributors xi
Foreword: "Tell It on the Mountain"—or, "And You Shall Tell Your Daughter [as Well]" xv
Athalya Brenner-Idan
Editor's Introduction to Wisdom Commentary: "She Is a Breath of the Power of God" (Wis 7:25) xix
Barbara E. Reid, OP
Authors' Introduction xxxix
Ezra 1 There's No Place Like Home 1
Ezra 2 Lists, Lists, and More Lists 13
Ezra 3 Feasts and Festivals 25
Ezra 4-6 Power, Politics, and Policies 39
Ezra 7-10 Introducing Ezra: Priest and Scribe 75
Nehemiah Building Walls of Identity and Gates of Possibility 115
Nehemiah 1-3 Nehemiah: The Man and His Mission 117
Nehemiah 4:1-7:73a Triumph Amidst Challenge s 147
Nehemiah 7:73b-10:39 Building a Community Ethic 191
Nehemiah 11:1-13:31 Making, Unmaking, and Remaking 227
Works Cited 269
Index of Scripture References and Other Ancient Writings 302
Index of Subjects 309
