It’s causing a stir nationwide.
Wellesley College, an all-female liberal arts institution in Massachusetts, offers a religion course titled “Queer Bible,” which explores gender and sexuality in the context of biblical interpretation and the ancient Middle East. The course, listed under Jewish Studies, aims to introduce students to the intersection of queer theory and biblical studies, focusing on how gender roles were constructed and challenged in biblical times. It also addresses how modern views on gender and sexuality can affect the understanding of ancient texts.
The course description explains that students will engage with both queer readings of the Bible and contemporary queer theory to analyze the complex relationship between gender, sexual orientation, and patriarchal structures in the biblical world. It encourages students to rethink traditional interpretations of gender in the ancient Middle East and consider how societal expectations shape their reading of biblical texts.
The class is taught by Eric Jarrard, an assistant professor of religious studies who earned his Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. Alongside “Queer Bible,” Jarrard offers a seminar titled “Decolonizing the Bible,” which examines the Bible’s role as both a tool for colonization and decolonization. This course engages post-colonial theory to study the Bible’s interactions with ancient empires and its impact during European colonization.
Jarrard’s seminar delves into how marginalized groups, including womanist, indigenous, and queer perspectives, have used biblical interpretation to challenge colonial narratives. The course aims to explore the Bible’s dual role as a source of both harm and healing throughout history. Wellesley College, founded in 1875 as a nondenominational institution, has a history of promoting religious inclusivity and pluralism, which continues to influence its academic offerings today.