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The Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives
This work of impeccable New Testament scholarship was a sensation when it was first published in 1987. Jane Schaberg argued that Matthew and Luke were aware that Jesus had been conceived illegitimately, probably as a result of a rape of Mary, and had left in their Gospels some hints of that knowledge, even though their main purpose was to explore the theological significance of Jesus' birth. By having the Messiah born out of the exploitation of a woman of the poor, God demonstrates the vindication of the oppressed in a truly miraculous manner. Exegetical precision, theological passion, and an exquisite prose style are combined in this landmark book, whose importance is yet to be fully recognized. Perhaps not surprisingly, the book and its author were vilified, even though scholarly reviewers found much to praise in it, and it still features on many classroom reading lists. For this Anniversary Edition, we have added Schaberg's own disturbing account of the reception of the book, and two extensive responses--one respectfully dissenting, one fully supportive--from other New Testament scholars.
318 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 23, 2013
This evenhanded work of New Testament scholarship is needlessly freighted with discussions of where it fits in the world of feminist literature.
I was alerted to the existence of this book by a mention of it in an obituary for Jane Schaberg that appeared in Biblical Archaeology Review magazine. Its main title, The Illegitimacy of Jesus, I found magnetic, especially in its relevance for my own fictional work in progress. So I suppressed my instinctive aversion to anything that labels itself as feminist and ordered myself a copy.
I'm glad I did. For I discovered, in the first place, that the author's working definition of feminism is
And the portion of the definition that lies within the quotation marks is not feminism as I understand the term, but a perfectly reasonable and neutral angle of research that could just as well be taken by any nonfeminist. As for the part that lies outside the quotation marks, it's not clear whether it is a paraphrase of Hilda Smith, or Schaberg's own addition, but in any case it doesn't seem to have affected the content of the book, beyond a few instances of the word androcentric and needless reminders that the culture of ancient Judea was patriarchal. For although the author sets out to preach to the feminist choir, the argument of her book does not in any way depend on the reader's prior commitment to feminist ideology.
The argument, in a nutshell, is that a careful reading of both the gospels and other ancient literature does not support the doctrine of Mary's virginal conception of Jesus. It does, on the other hand, support a contention that existed in ancient times: that Jesus was a child illegitimately conceived--that is, conceived through either the rape or seduction of Mary during the time of her betrothal to Joseph. Schaberg shows how both Matthew and Luke, the two evangelists who treat the topic of Jesus' birth, in their different ways, fudge the question of Jesus' paternity. Rather, they agree that Joseph was not the biological father, and that the Holy Spirit sanctified the conception and assured Mary and her child of God's approval and protection.
Matthew in particular appears to show awareness of the law of Deut 22:23-27, regarding the rape of a betrothed woman. The man who was guilty of violating another man's bride-to-be was to be executed in any case, but the woman only if the act occurred in a city and she did not cry out for help, which would imply her complicity. If the act occurred in the country, where there was no one to hear her cry out, she was to be spared. Schaberg spends some time weighing the implications of this law and how its application may have evolved by the time of Jesus' conception.
The author examines the works of Matthew and Luke in some detail, and the works of other authors, including Mark and John, in much less detail. She looks at the Jewish tradition that Jesus was actually fathered by a man named Panthera or ben Stada, and offers her own cautious and tentative conclusion.
This does not go beyond the basic assertion that the evidence seems to support the fact that Mary conceived Jesus in the normal biological way during the time of her betrothal to Joseph, but with a man other than Joseph. Whether this happened via rape, "seduction," or some other way, she is not in a position to say. She does not offer a positive scenario for what happened, for that would be mere conjecture--it would be fiction.
Schaberg covers the material thoroughly without churning through excessive detail. The actual argument of the book occupies only 140 of its 318 pages. The rest of it, apart from 75 pages of end-notes, consists of pieces by Schaberg and a few others about how her work fits in various controversies within feminism and Christianity. These might possibly interest you if you're a feminist or a Christian; I skipped them.
The book would be a lot better if all that polemical gunk were trimmed away. The heart of it shows that Schaberg's interest was really in scholarship, straight up, and for this reader, anyway, she makes her case. I already believed that Jesus had been "illegitimately" conceived, but now I have a resource that places that notion within the context of specific, relevant, ancient sources that deal with it. This book shows why the simplest explanation here, as so often, is the best.
I was alerted to the existence of this book by a mention of it in an obituary for Jane Schaberg that appeared in Biblical Archaeology Review magazine. Its main title, The Illegitimacy of Jesus, I found magnetic, especially in its relevance for my own fictional work in progress. So I suppressed my instinctive aversion to anything that labels itself as feminist and ordered myself a copy.
I'm glad I did. For I discovered, in the first place, that the author's working definition of feminism is
as Hilda Smith defines it: "the view of women as a distinct sociological group for which there are established patterns of behavior, special legal and legislative restrictions, and customarily defined roles," which are based on neither rational criteria nor physiological dictates.
And the portion of the definition that lies within the quotation marks is not feminism as I understand the term, but a perfectly reasonable and neutral angle of research that could just as well be taken by any nonfeminist. As for the part that lies outside the quotation marks, it's not clear whether it is a paraphrase of Hilda Smith, or Schaberg's own addition, but in any case it doesn't seem to have affected the content of the book, beyond a few instances of the word androcentric and needless reminders that the culture of ancient Judea was patriarchal. For although the author sets out to preach to the feminist choir, the argument of her book does not in any way depend on the reader's prior commitment to feminist ideology.
The argument, in a nutshell, is that a careful reading of both the gospels and other ancient literature does not support the doctrine of Mary's virginal conception of Jesus. It does, on the other hand, support a contention that existed in ancient times: that Jesus was a child illegitimately conceived--that is, conceived through either the rape or seduction of Mary during the time of her betrothal to Joseph. Schaberg shows how both Matthew and Luke, the two evangelists who treat the topic of Jesus' birth, in their different ways, fudge the question of Jesus' paternity. Rather, they agree that Joseph was not the biological father, and that the Holy Spirit sanctified the conception and assured Mary and her child of God's approval and protection.
Matthew in particular appears to show awareness of the law of Deut 22:23-27, regarding the rape of a betrothed woman. The man who was guilty of violating another man's bride-to-be was to be executed in any case, but the woman only if the act occurred in a city and she did not cry out for help, which would imply her complicity. If the act occurred in the country, where there was no one to hear her cry out, she was to be spared. Schaberg spends some time weighing the implications of this law and how its application may have evolved by the time of Jesus' conception.
The author examines the works of Matthew and Luke in some detail, and the works of other authors, including Mark and John, in much less detail. She looks at the Jewish tradition that Jesus was actually fathered by a man named Panthera or ben Stada, and offers her own cautious and tentative conclusion.
This does not go beyond the basic assertion that the evidence seems to support the fact that Mary conceived Jesus in the normal biological way during the time of her betrothal to Joseph, but with a man other than Joseph. Whether this happened via rape, "seduction," or some other way, she is not in a position to say. She does not offer a positive scenario for what happened, for that would be mere conjecture--it would be fiction.
Schaberg covers the material thoroughly without churning through excessive detail. The actual argument of the book occupies only 140 of its 318 pages. The rest of it, apart from 75 pages of end-notes, consists of pieces by Schaberg and a few others about how her work fits in various controversies within feminism and Christianity. These might possibly interest you if you're a feminist or a Christian; I skipped them.
The book would be a lot better if all that polemical gunk were trimmed away. The heart of it shows that Schaberg's interest was really in scholarship, straight up, and for this reader, anyway, she makes her case. I already believed that Jesus had been "illegitimately" conceived, but now I have a resource that places that notion within the context of specific, relevant, ancient sources that deal with it. This book shows why the simplest explanation here, as so often, is the best.
October 8, 2019
The author claims no definitive conclusion on the conception of Jesus, but provides strong evidence for the idea that Jesus was born from a result of a man's violation of his mother. Ms. Schaberg is fair and thorough in her treatment of ancient texts and scholarly material. I admire her courage to take a stand on such a controversial opinion.
If one is open to considering such an origin story as put forth here, they might find that a divine and royal outcome of a humiliating experience actually gives both Jesus and Mary more honor and esteem for their experiences and overcoming of rejection and prejudice. It also speaks volume about God's care for the outcasts and downtrodden.
If one is open to considering such an origin story as put forth here, they might find that a divine and royal outcome of a humiliating experience actually gives both Jesus and Mary more honor and esteem for their experiences and overcoming of rejection and prejudice. It also speaks volume about God's care for the outcasts and downtrodden.
February 11, 2016
The Greatest Cover Up Story Ever Told. Academic, thorough, readable. Sparked my interest to read more feminist theology and Christology.
November 6, 2008
Very interesting. Her Schaberg's thesis is that the Biblical record allows for the possibility that Mary concieved Jesus "through" the Holy Spirit & protected by God, but also by a man (not Joseph), possibly through rape. It's very well-researched, but even Schaberg admits that it's not the strongest claim. Although, to unbelievers the idea of the Virgin Birth is pretty incredible, too. Regardless, this was my introduction to feminist theology. I found compelling the claim that Mary being honored for her virginity (Schaberg doesn't even get into the Orthodox claim of Ever-Virginity) is harmful to women's position in the Church, since it sets up the Ideal Woman as virginal, defined by her reproductive capacity, and passive, leaving no chance for a normal woman to measure up. I'm not explaining this as well as Schaberg does, of course, so read it yourself.
February 24, 2021
The reading of the annunciation and birth narratives in the Gospel of Matthew was impressive to me. The reading of Luke, less so. And I got a little lost in the section on pre- and post-Gospel traditions. For me the important takeaway from that was that there WERE a lot of different traditions about Mary and the birth, a reminder that "Matthew" is a historical reconstruction in the manner that the ancients understood "historical," which is quite different from the way moderns do. In light of that, Schaberg's is a beautiful and profoundly Christian interpretation of the incarnation of Jesus. This book has reminded me repeatedly of Yeats' line [which I may not quote correctly here] "For love has pitched his mansion in the place of excrement,/ And nothing can be sole or whole that has not been rent."
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews