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Bread Not Stone: The Challenge of Feminist Biblical Interpretation
Book by Fiorenza, Elisabeth Schussler
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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200 people want to read
About the author
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza
68 books51 followersBorn Elisabeth Schüssler in Tășnad, in the Transylvanian region of the Kingdom of Romania, Professor Schüssler Fiorenza is a German feminist, theologian and Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School. Schüssler Fiorenza identifies as Catholic and her work is generally in the context of Christianity, although much of her work has broader applicability.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 30, 2022
“Bread Not Stone” comprises of six pre-published articles that are united in Fiorenza’s aims to create a feminist Biblical hermeneutic. The papers combine to build an argument that negotiates between the tension of the androcentric language of the Bible, the patriarchal context of its origin and the misogynist culture it has shaped, against the reality of the liberation and empowerment that the Bible authorises to all those who are oppressed, primarily, the ekklesia gynaikon. Fiorenza argues for a feminist biblical study that continues to “wrestle with this either-or alternative.”
The overall thrust is to develop a biblical interpretation as a rhetoric of inquiry that encourages idealogical and sociocultural reflection. The author utilises four interchanging hermeneutical strategies of; suspicion, reconstruction, evaluation and imagination to challenge the kyriocentric nature of malestream Biblical Hermeneutics. All to reclaim the Bible as an enabling resource for women - “Bread not stone.”
Fiorenza initially delineates the status quo. The battle lines are drawn around the multiplicity of feminist views and the study’s accountability to women of the church .“For the Sake of Our Salvation” teases the relationship between the community of faith and the influence it has had on Biblical interpretation. Fiorenza asses historical, psychoanalytical, illustrative and Pastoral paradigms to question where the Bible sits as divine authoritative text. Fiorenza calls for a reformation of reinterpretation, critically engaging with tradition and history to ensure that the Bible is not misinterpreted and manipulated to be the “mouthpiece” of a “prejudice” God.
Fiorenza leans upon the likes of James Cone and Juan Luis Segundo’s whose interpretive models assume that “to truly understand the Bible is to read it through the eyes of the oppressed, since the God who speaks in the Bible is the God of the oppressed.” Fiorenza suggests that if Christian theology is an explication of the freedoms given through the Gospel, starting from any other perspective than that of the oppressed could be deemed “blasphemy.” Such a statement goes beyond rhetoric and Fiorenza rightly questions the radical arm of such understanding in the case of Elizabeth Cady Stanton whose words at her daughters ‘baptism’ were; “She is born into a world of oppression, she is reborn into a church of inequality.” Fiorenza helpfully balances this tension of being ‘a woman’ and ‘a Christian’ bound to charter documents that for centuries have appeared to formulate an oppressive culture.
“Discipleship and Patriarchy” explores the multiformity of ethics shaped on the appeal of scripture by the “historical winners” through Christendom. Fiorenza critiques the common understanding of the household code (Ephesians 5:22-6:9) as a legacy of Aristotelian ethic that bled into the Christian oikos. Fiorenza correctly questions this premise as individuals (not families) were converted into emancipatory home-churches as a discipleship of equals.
“Remembering the Past in Creating the Future” promotes the contribution that a feminist hermeneutic can make to the intellectual recreation of history, “no understanding is possible without pre-understanding.” Fiorenza concludes that the early Christian writings were undertaken during a “patriarchalization process” of the early church. Omitting the rich traditions of female contribution to the movement and thus calls for “rapprochement.”
The closing essay acknowledges that critical scholarship has been a chronicle of male domination. Fiorenza calls for a theological movement that empowers the “ordinary Christian” to be equipped to reflect on their own presuppositions and prejudices and critically engage with pietistic and ecclesial interpretations of the Bible.
Fiorenza’s Roman Catholic tradition is explicit in the text as she focusses on the community of faith and its epistemology as the centre of interpretation. Although I do commend the trajectory away from an individualistic understanding of the Bible and agree somewhat with the principle of her focus on the sociopolitical understanding of Biblical interpretation. I am concerned about the books plea to decentralise the Bible in this discussion. As correctly argued in the afterword, the Bible (from a protestant perspective) is not primarily a source of knowledge about God but a source for experience and hearing “God-in-Jesus in each present moment in life.” It is when the clear teaching of the Bible is decentralised that unbiblical traditions can take shape and sinful practices justified.
I do not believe that this book is simply for those advocating (or within) the feminist Christian movement (hence why i read it). Although an academic read, the style and vocabulary is deliberately open to engage with. It is clear in her writing that Fiorenza tries to adopt more open terms to avoid “Theology-Anxiety.” The authors principle is not simply to build a self-affirming theology for women, but also a “theology of relinquishment” for men. Both parties need understand that Bible verses historically used by various traditions to argue against women’s struggle for liberation are not simply “patriarchally misinterpreted" but are also patriarchal texts in themselves. The goal then is for all theologians to engage with this work, not simply to liberate women (and the oppressed) into full humanity, but into a new humanity, a “Discipleship of Equals” that has not been predefined by men.
It is clear that Fiorenza’s fight is not only against the patriarchy but also the “post-biblical feminist” who she continues to draw into a contemporary understanding of the Christian woman. Fiorenza handles this tension well. At times the book shows its age as it reflects the emergent feminist views of half a century ago and can be repetitive as the same arguments are raised in each essay.
However, as a reformed evangelical, I delight in the call for the community of faith to engage with scripture more critically, a staple of my tradition and a need clearly exposed in the Roman Catholic Church through the lens of feminism.
The overall thrust is to develop a biblical interpretation as a rhetoric of inquiry that encourages idealogical and sociocultural reflection. The author utilises four interchanging hermeneutical strategies of; suspicion, reconstruction, evaluation and imagination to challenge the kyriocentric nature of malestream Biblical Hermeneutics. All to reclaim the Bible as an enabling resource for women - “Bread not stone.”
Fiorenza initially delineates the status quo. The battle lines are drawn around the multiplicity of feminist views and the study’s accountability to women of the church .“For the Sake of Our Salvation” teases the relationship between the community of faith and the influence it has had on Biblical interpretation. Fiorenza asses historical, psychoanalytical, illustrative and Pastoral paradigms to question where the Bible sits as divine authoritative text. Fiorenza calls for a reformation of reinterpretation, critically engaging with tradition and history to ensure that the Bible is not misinterpreted and manipulated to be the “mouthpiece” of a “prejudice” God.
Fiorenza leans upon the likes of James Cone and Juan Luis Segundo’s whose interpretive models assume that “to truly understand the Bible is to read it through the eyes of the oppressed, since the God who speaks in the Bible is the God of the oppressed.” Fiorenza suggests that if Christian theology is an explication of the freedoms given through the Gospel, starting from any other perspective than that of the oppressed could be deemed “blasphemy.” Such a statement goes beyond rhetoric and Fiorenza rightly questions the radical arm of such understanding in the case of Elizabeth Cady Stanton whose words at her daughters ‘baptism’ were; “She is born into a world of oppression, she is reborn into a church of inequality.” Fiorenza helpfully balances this tension of being ‘a woman’ and ‘a Christian’ bound to charter documents that for centuries have appeared to formulate an oppressive culture.
“Discipleship and Patriarchy” explores the multiformity of ethics shaped on the appeal of scripture by the “historical winners” through Christendom. Fiorenza critiques the common understanding of the household code (Ephesians 5:22-6:9) as a legacy of Aristotelian ethic that bled into the Christian oikos. Fiorenza correctly questions this premise as individuals (not families) were converted into emancipatory home-churches as a discipleship of equals.
“Remembering the Past in Creating the Future” promotes the contribution that a feminist hermeneutic can make to the intellectual recreation of history, “no understanding is possible without pre-understanding.” Fiorenza concludes that the early Christian writings were undertaken during a “patriarchalization process” of the early church. Omitting the rich traditions of female contribution to the movement and thus calls for “rapprochement.”
The closing essay acknowledges that critical scholarship has been a chronicle of male domination. Fiorenza calls for a theological movement that empowers the “ordinary Christian” to be equipped to reflect on their own presuppositions and prejudices and critically engage with pietistic and ecclesial interpretations of the Bible.
Fiorenza’s Roman Catholic tradition is explicit in the text as she focusses on the community of faith and its epistemology as the centre of interpretation. Although I do commend the trajectory away from an individualistic understanding of the Bible and agree somewhat with the principle of her focus on the sociopolitical understanding of Biblical interpretation. I am concerned about the books plea to decentralise the Bible in this discussion. As correctly argued in the afterword, the Bible (from a protestant perspective) is not primarily a source of knowledge about God but a source for experience and hearing “God-in-Jesus in each present moment in life.” It is when the clear teaching of the Bible is decentralised that unbiblical traditions can take shape and sinful practices justified.
I do not believe that this book is simply for those advocating (or within) the feminist Christian movement (hence why i read it). Although an academic read, the style and vocabulary is deliberately open to engage with. It is clear in her writing that Fiorenza tries to adopt more open terms to avoid “Theology-Anxiety.” The authors principle is not simply to build a self-affirming theology for women, but also a “theology of relinquishment” for men. Both parties need understand that Bible verses historically used by various traditions to argue against women’s struggle for liberation are not simply “patriarchally misinterpreted" but are also patriarchal texts in themselves. The goal then is for all theologians to engage with this work, not simply to liberate women (and the oppressed) into full humanity, but into a new humanity, a “Discipleship of Equals” that has not been predefined by men.
It is clear that Fiorenza’s fight is not only against the patriarchy but also the “post-biblical feminist” who she continues to draw into a contemporary understanding of the Christian woman. Fiorenza handles this tension well. At times the book shows its age as it reflects the emergent feminist views of half a century ago and can be repetitive as the same arguments are raised in each essay.
However, as a reformed evangelical, I delight in the call for the community of faith to engage with scripture more critically, a staple of my tradition and a need clearly exposed in the Roman Catholic Church through the lens of feminism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2016
In the way of many academics, the author mistakes big words for big ideas. The premise of the book had the potential to be developed into an excellent, thoughtful work, but, unfortunately, the end result was self-indulgent and had no recognizable signs of having been researched at all. I give one star for lack of grammatical error, another for the chosen subject matter.
This book is not likely to leave a mark on any of its readers. I pity those who take whatever class she teaches and are forced to read this (pure speculation on my part, but her writing style makes her seem like the type).
This book is not likely to leave a mark on any of its readers. I pity those who take whatever class she teaches and are forced to read this (pure speculation on my part, but her writing style makes her seem like the type).
September 2, 2022
Feminist, heretical, paganistic, cultic, garbage. “In ever new images and symbols we seek to rename the God of the Bible and the significance of Jesus”. This book proves the reality of 1 Corinthians 2:14 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised”. Higher-Criticism needs to stay out of hermeneutics.
November 29, 2020
3.5 stars. Fiorenza, writing in the early 80s, takes the radical position that a feminist biblical scholarship must realize that the Bible was written by men who operated under a patriarchal society, with all of the caveats this implies. In the end, the truth of the Bible for feminists depends on its ability to liberate women and allow them to realize their full potential and humanity. Anything that reinforces and defends patriarchal discrimination cannot be inspired or defended doctrinally. A landmark in biblical scholarship and feminist liberation theology, if a bit dry and repetitive.
March 29, 2018
Third read as part of the hermeneutical support for my dissertation.
December 27, 2015
This was the first book I read in the genre of "Christian Feminism". Boy, was this a mistake! It's good, but it's super academic and (in my naive opinion at the time) concerned itself with nitpicking pedantry over what I believed at the time to be trivial and nonsensical theological issues. Nevertheless I persevered with it and gleaned what i could. It has more to offer seasoned theologians (or people with some intermediate knowledge of Christian feminist theology) than interest-based readers. An important text though... Not for the unindoctrinated.
October 28, 2012
An important work in the area of Christian feminism. Nothing in her arguments was strong enough to persuade me to accept her view, but she is obviously passionate about her stance.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews