Bodily and Embodied: Being Human in the Tradition of the Hebrew Bible

A depiction of the ancient Hebrew understanding of the human being must take into account the fact that the Bible does not contain a systematic anthropology, but unfolds the multiplicity of human existence inductively, aspectively, and in narrative fashion. In comparison to Greek body/soul dualism, but also in the context of body-(de-)construction and gender debates, this circumstance makes it a treasure trove of interesting, often contrasting recollections and insights with liberating potential. This assertion will be illustrated concretely in terms of the nexus points of the human body (throat, heart, and womb), the relationship of humans to animals and angels, and the questions of the power and value of a human being.

Frauen im Matthäusevangelium – revisited

This article tries to rediscover the role women play in the text of the Gospel of Matthew, in dialogue with former works about women in the Gospel. The focus lies on the way women are presented in the narratives and on the question if their performance in the story identifies them as disciples although they are never called disciples explicitly. Whereas the main story of the gospel has to be called androcentric showing women in stereotypical gender roles, this analysis reveals an underlying counter story that shows women in gender roles unexpected for the time the text was written in. This counter story already starts in the genealogy by breaking through the male line of succession referring to five women. Through the main part of the Gospel several other stories show women in unexpected places and roles. The counter story culminates in the passion and resurrection stories where women take over the main acting parts, instead of the male disciples, thus helping the story to continue.