Episode Details

We’re honored to have religious scholar, preacher, teacher, and activist, Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney on the pod this week. Rev. Dr. Gafney is a biblical scholar whose work focuses on translation of the scriptures for congregations and lay readers, womanist and feminist biblical interpretation and women who prophesied in ancient Israel and the ancient Afro-Asiatic world and their reception in rabbinic literature. She is the author and translator and wrote “Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to Women of the Torah and of the Throne” and its sequel, “Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to Women of Joshua Judges, Samuel and Kings.” She co-edited “The Peoples’ Bible” and “The Peoples’ Companion to the Bible.” Dr. Gafney is an Episcopal priest canonically resident in the Diocese of Pennsylvania and licensed in the Diocese of Texas and a former Army chaplain and congregational pastor in the AME Zion Church. Her lectures and sermons are widely sought after in academic and Jewish and Christian congregational spaces in the US and in the UK. In this conversation, Dr. Gaffney discusses the Womanist Midrash project, exploring the intersection of womanism and biblical interpretation. She emphasizes the importance of context in understanding scripture, the role of translation, and the significance of centering marginalized voices in religious narratives. Dr. Gaffney also introduces the Women’s Lectionary project, which aims to highlight women’s stories in the biblical text, and addresses the challenges of biblical illiteracy in contemporary faith communities.

Takeaways

• Midrash fills the spaces between the letters and gaps in the story.
• Womanism is invested in the wellbeing of the entire community.
• Biblical interpretation is not just about facts but about the stories that shape identity.
• Translation is inherently interpretative and should be approached with awareness.
• The Queen of Sheba’s story reveals the richness of shared religious traditions.
• Understanding context is crucial for interpreting biblical texts.
• The Women’s Lectionary project aims to center women’s voices in scripture.
• Marginalized voices enrich the understanding of biblical narratives.
• Biblical illiteracy can be addressed through guided reading programs.
• Engaging with scripture can be both devotional and academic.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Womanist Midrash

(03:03) The Intersection of Womanism and Midrash

(06:04) The Role of Translation in Biblical Interpretation

(09:06) Exploring Biblical Stories: The Queen of Sheba

(11:54) Understanding Context in Biblical Narratives

(14:56) The Women’s Lectionary Project

(17:56) The Impact of Centering Marginalized Voices

(20:59) Navigating Biblical Illiteracy

(23:56) Conclusion and Resources

Resources:

• Learn more about Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney at https://www.wilgafney.com/
• Womanist Midrash Volume 2 by Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney
• Join our online community at  Sanctuary Collective Community

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This transcript was generated by AI and may contain errors or omissions.

(9s):
Welcome to the Queer Theology Podcast. I’m Brian G Murphy. And I’m father Shannon, T l Kearns. We’re the co-founders of Queer Theology dot com and your hosts from Genesis, revelation. The Bible declares good news to LGBTQ plus people, and we want to show you how Tune in each