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CANES Lecture: “Woman in Drag: Queer Approaches to the Book of Judith”
April 13, 2021 @ 12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Zoom link
Meeting ID: 984 2911 7796
Passcode: 250529
April 13: Caryn Tamber Rosenau (University of Houston)
“Woman in Drag: Queer Approaches to the Book of Judith”
Judith, in the apocryphal book that bears her name, seduces an enemy general, beheads him with his own sword, and saves her people from conquest. Interpreters have often read this fascinating figure as a dupe of the patriarchy or as acting like a man. However, reading Judith through the lens of queer theory shows that she has more agency than many have allowed, and that she actually saves the day by acting like a woman. Queer-theoretical readings of the Book of Judith also reveal a tale that resists the typical biblical focus on children and the future and problematizes notions of linear history.
This series is made possible with generous support from the Anonymous Fund.
