We are unfortunately still living in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, one which required many of us to isolate. As a result, many of us had to improve or find new ways to communicate and stay in contact. Through this shared traumatic experience, we are undoubtedly reminded of the importance of relationships and the value of communication. The articles in this issue fittingly center on relationships. These relationships might be one between characters or between a character or reader and their society. Connected to relationships, the articles in this issue also focus on particular modes and means of communication and their significance in biblical stories.
The three articles on the Hebrew Bible all center on the rich and complicated portrayals of female characters, such as Esther, Abigail, Jael, and midwives, and the various relationships these figures have with each other and with society. Exploring the importance of intertextuality as well the power structures that undergird these ancient tales, these works help us to better understand these marginalized figures.
The articles on the Hebrew Bible are matched by three articles on the New Testament. Focusing on communication and expression, these articles explore the role of rituals, baptism, argumentation, questions, and politeness in New Testament texts. In so doing, they elucidate the significant theological messages conveyed through the use of rituals as well as different modes of communication.
June Dickie looks at the story of Jael in Judges 4-5 and its interpretation by participants in a women’s Bible study group at a South African prison, some of whom were convicted of “man-slaying.” Looking at the various aspects of the story of Jael, Dickie shows how participants generally empathize with or praise Jael, and indeed, in some cases, feel empowered by her story.
Chuka Ononye and Chizoba Ezugwu highlight the relational features of communication among biblical characters in several accounts of the Passion of the Christ. Especially focused on the degree and level of politeness in the exchanges among the various characters and on the linguistic forms through which it is evinced, Onoye and Ezugwu elucidate how Jesus, the crowd, soldiers, and accusers exhibit varying levels of polite and politic behavior.
Joshua Paul Smith shows that Jesus uses questions as the central method of argumentation throughout the Gospel of Luke. Taking Luke 2:48-49, Luke 5:21-23, and Luke 20:2-8 as case studies, he closely examines the rhetorical function of questions before turning to examine Jesus’ odd lack of reply to questions in Luke 22-23. Jesus’ silence, he argues, both subverts his characterization as well as emphasizes the resurrection as an answer to the horrors of the crucifixion.
Gale Yee coffers an intersectional investigation of midwives, a marginal group in ancient Israel, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Looking at the role and understanding of midwives within the “structural and hegemonic domains of power” in these societies, especially in the realms of religion and magic, Yee notes how YHWH takes over the role of midwives and the birth goddess in the Hebrew text.
David Zucker shows how Esther alludes to and interplays with the story of Abigail, especially through her interaction with David in 1 Sam 25. Noting the ways in which the stories of the two characters parallel and contrast with each other, Zucker notes that Esther serves as subversive extension of the story of Abigail in 1 Sam 25.
Kai Hsuan Chang uses conceptual blending theory to examine the role of ritual, and in particular, baptism. Looking at both the physical performance as well as the metaphorical reception of baptism, Chang argues that Paul’s baptismal expression in 1 Cor 12:13 uses overlapping metaphors to emphasize the unity of the church as one social body.
