How Shekhinah Became the God(dess) of Jewish Feminism

Dados Bibliográficos

ID14948636
AutoresLuke Devine (0000-0002-3004-1597, University of Worcester, autor correspondente)
Ano2014
Volume23
Fascículo1
Páginas71-91
Data de publicação2014-09-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoFeminist Theology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0966-7350 • E-ISSN: 1745-5189
EditoraSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0966735014542380
OpenAlexW2114724186
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas3
Referências citadas30

Shekhinah, the ‘cloud of Yahweh’ in the Bible, a synonym for God’s presence in the rabbinic tradition, and a feminine hypostasis in the Kabbalah, is a popular theological image in contemporary Jewish feminist circles. Shekhinah currently exists in many forms: she is another name for God, feminine, relational, experiential; she is a Goddess and the singular image that is sufficiently adaptable for a diverse range of postmodern feminist interpreters. However, the processes by which Shekhinah became the God/dess of Jewish feminism have not been researched. Therefore, this article tracks the evolution of Shekhinah iconography in the Jewish tradition to gain an understanding of the appeal of these images within the context of Jewish feminism’s quest for an alternative to the androcentric Holy One, blessed be He. The article then traces the extent of Shekhinah theologies engendered by Second, Third-Wave and recent Jewish feminisms concluding that the plurality of contemporary spirituality and the general rejection of ‘systematic’ models of theology are not necessarily problematic. Rather, Shekhinah is argued to be a binding agent for diverse religionists, and one which has become normative to Jewish feminist theology

Epistemology · Feminism · Feminist theology · Image of God · Judaism · Postmodernism · Sociology · Spirituality · Theology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Gender Studies · History · Islamic Studies and History · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Philosophy · Religious studies