Mothers of Promise: Women in the Book of Genesis

by Tammi J. Schneider

Eve, Noah's wife, Sarah, Tamar, Asenath, and others played a critical role in shaping the nation and faith of Israel. But we need to look closely at their stories to fully understand their impact. Respected Hebrew scholar and archaeologist Tammi Schneider takes us into the biblical account by carefully reading the stories of all the women in Genesis and illuminating the text with cultural background and archaeological insights. Her careful and creative approach challenges traditional ways of seeing these women and gives a fresh perspective on familiar stories. The result is a readable, thoughtful, and biblically grounded look at the roles and functions of Genesis women and a solid resource for studies of Genesis, women in the Bible, and women's issues.

Genres: Womens

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

About the author

Tammi J. Schneider is a professor of religion at Claremont Graduate University. Her research draws together the varied fields of archaeology, Assyriology, and biblical studies in an effort to understand the ancient Near East, especially the interactions among various peoples. She teaches ancient Near Eastern History, literature, archaeology and religion, and women in the Hebrew Bible.

Reviews

[Cameron Schnurer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wrote a paper surrounding this book, I appreciate what they were going for and the methodology, but little in the terms of conclusions were made

[Taylor Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative methodology

Not an enthralling read but a valuable reference. Analyzing the adjectives and verbs associated with each woman in Genesis is a great way to understand how the Biblical authors thought of each of these women, and an effective data point for comparison among the women.

My only complaint about Dr Schneider (one of my advisers at CGU) is her categorical rejection of source criticism which I believe would shed light on many of the unanswered questions she raises in the text.

Edit: Having discussed the book with her I now understand that her rejection of source criticism was precisely to avoid such easy answers. It is her purposeful intention to treat Scriptural books as works of literature rather than works of history—even pseudo-history. I cannot regard her approach as a fault simply because her perspective is different from my own. To the contrary it is quite helpful to see biblical texts from different points of view.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was eager to read some kind of analysis or commentary about the women of Genesis but no such luck. Mothers of Promise was dry, pedantic, repetitious, and, sigh, boring. Schneider made much of Hebrew terms and translation, essential for proper Bible study but just not very interesting. She also made a few assumptions that I believe I could have refuted - but didn't take the time to do so - and some grammatical errors ("who" rather than whom," "lay" rather than "lie," for instance) that as a member in good standing of a Roving Band of Delinquent Proofreaders I resented. Good topic, disappointing work.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An academic book for professionals engaged in deep reflective reading of Biblical text, this isn't a book I would hand around for a general Bible study. But the careful study can lead to insights and use for the religious professional's interpretative work and inform creating an adult Bible study.