Title

This course examines women and ancient sources. It begins with some background on how to read and interpret ancient sources: what can ancient texts and archaeological remains tell us about women of the past? What are the limitations of these sources? From there, we look at women characters in narratives - how are they depicted, represented, or ignored? Next, we examine how women have been a focus in scholarship. Here we will look at the contributions of feminist criticism and women-centred archaeology focussing on women's lives and also at subsequent scholarly developments: namely, gender criticism, queer criticism, and masculinity studies. How has this affected and been affected by social movements in front of the ancient texts? Finally, we will look at some recent examples in select faith settings, focusing on developments in women's rights, visibility, and participation. Here we will look at such topics as women's leadership, divorce, resistance to gender-based violence, and abortion.