Gender Studies Presents 'madonnas and Jezebels' Lecture April 24

Dr. Jan Granowski will lecture on "Madonnas and Jezebels: Female Characterization in the Old Testament" at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in Room 101 of the Tidwell Bible Building on the Baylor University campus. The lecture is sponsored by Baylor's Gender Studies program.
Granowski will explore the characterization of Jezebel and the Shunammite woman from the Elijah and Elisha stories in the Book of Kings. The presentation will consider how these two very different women were portrayed by the biblical writers, why they might have been so portrayed, how ancient readers might have understood their significance and how contemporary readers of their stories might interpret these characters in the most meaningful ways. A slide presentation will accompany the lecture.
"People are interested in women in the Bible, but I think it would be more useful to show how these characters' behavior is applicable to men and women instead of just showing how good or bad women lived," Granowski said. "Hopefully, I will destabilize assumptions that people have about women in the Bible."
Granowski holds a doctorate in biblical studies from Baylor. A Waco native, she received her bachelor's degree in religion from the University of North Carolina and a master's degree in religion from Baylor. Currently, she is an assistant director of the Baylor interdisciplinary core.
The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call Granowski at 755-1399.