User:Cononthecob/Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza

But She Said: Feminist Practices of Biblical Interpretation
Fiorenza’s work But She Said is both an expansion of her earlier works as well as a venture into developing feminist biblical interpretations. By this endeavor, Firorenza seeks to tend a feminist practice of interpreting biblical texts in ways that aid women’s struggles for freedom and to create space for this re-seeing of biblical texts to occur. (Davaney 131) Key to Fiorenza’s goal is the deconstruction of a limiting theology that dominates the landscape of biblical interpretation. More than merely naming the patriarchal disposition of traditional, limited biblical ideologies, she exposes their elitist, racist and classist nature, thus identifying them as kyriarchal (master-headed). By pointing out the flaws of this limited perspective, she purposes that the kyriarchal biases of past interpreters may not be passed down into contemporary biblical discourse. (TS 344) Fiorenza furthers this purpose by engaging in conversations with feminist theories and the process of biblical interpretation. A key element of Fiorenza’s contribution to biblical interpretation from this book is the presentation of interpretation as a spiraling dance. Fiorenza uses the analogy of a dancel to portray her approach, including feminist strategies of biblical interpretation and rhetoric of liberation, since interpretation is not accomplished in a purely linear fashion but, rather, consists of strategies that must be repeated much like the steps of a dance. (TS 344) Rejecting claims to objectivity and neutrality, Fiorenza’s approach to biblical interpretation highlights the social and historical positions of both the reader and text, thus recognizing that all readings of texts, throughout history, are influenced by different perspectives and interests. (Davaney 132)

In the latter section of her work, Fiorenza articulates a vision for a community by which a feminist reading of the bible can take place. This ekklesia of women should be upheld by radical equality and be a space by which feminist struggles for transforming societal and religious institutions can become realized. As a theoretical and real community of biblical interpreters, the ekklesia is a structure that pushes against interpretations that have lead to domination. The ekklesia of women is a place marked by plurality, critical reflection and a commitment to liberation. (Davaney 132-133)