Women's Writings Add to Bible Study Literature (out of the Garden; Wrestling with Angels; Reading Ruth)

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RECENTLY THERE HAVE been a number of new books about the Bible written by women. Some are collections of writings by a variety of authors, some are by a single author. I want to comment on three of these, all books about the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament).

Out of the Garden is a collection of essays by 28 women. Some are biblical scholars, some poets or novelists, some professors of English, law, or philosophy. They are Christians and Jews. Each addresses the question: "What does it mean to read the Bible as a woman today?" Some essays focus on the women of the Bible; some look at biblical men from a feminist perspective. Here we find Kathleen Norris writing on the …