In this episode -- the first in a series -- we look at some of the basics, like where the name "Gilead" comes from and what a handmaid is. We also talk about the difference between descriptive and normative texts and how the texts hint at a God who gives voice to the voiceless.
We hope you'll follow along with this series, either by reading The Handmaid's Tale, watching the show on Hulu, or both!
We mention the spiritual "There is a Balm in Gilead." If you're not familiar with it, here's a beautiful rendition by Mahalia Jackson:
David mentions the reference to Gilead in Jeremiah 8; Leigh refers to a story in Numbers 32 and a passage in Hosea 6. You can find the story of Hagar, Sarah, and Abraham in Genesis 16. The passage about Rachel and Leah, which is read to set the stage for the horrific "Ceremony" in The Handmaid's Tale, is in Genesis 30.
If you're interested in reading more about some of the topics we raised in our discussion of the handmaids, we recommend Just a Sister Away by Renita Weems and The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
As we mentioned, Leigh and I will be at the Wild Goose Festival in July. We'll be doing a live version of Fooling with Scripture on Friday, July 14 at 9am -- joined by the fabulous Pat Dupont -- and I'll also be giving a talk on mental health and mental illness with an awesome artist and theologian named Mary Button! You can join the fun by being part of our audience. In fact, we can help you out on that. Just go to www.WildGooseFestival.org, and use the code GOOSECAST17 when you buy your tickets and you’ll receive a whopping 25% off!
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Have a question, a comment, or a scripture passage you want "fooled" with? Email us!
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