Battered Love: Creating a Counter-Narrative to Spousal Abuse in the Prophets

In our scriptures, we find narratives and poetry that use the image of a wayward woman to symbolize the sins of the community. God is presented as her aggrieved husband who sometimes responds violently. This imagery bears the unfortunate and dangerous implication that spouse abuse is something God does.

We will read Renita Weems’ book, Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets, and consider how we can construct a counter-narrative to combat this implication. The class will culminate with a weekend workshop in which we will produce both spoken and visual art to represent that counter-narrative.

Micheal Palmer and Dorothy Pennell will lead this class. Come help us re-envision what it means to be in a relationship with God.

Offered in person only in the Art Room (Room 17).