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Description

This collection of essays explores the way individuals and communities navigate complicated spaces which have been dominated by econo-heteropatriarchal powers to find their voice and claim their space.

Using concepts of space from development studies, the volume explores the power of biblical narratives for communities to navigate the complex and multifaceted intersections between gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and economics in the biblical text as well as within the diverse interpretive communities the chapter authors represent. In particular, these contributions are interested in the role of art as a way for individuals and communities to exhibit their agency and so transform hostile spaces in which they inadvertently find themselves.

The work is divided into three sections: Claiming Space in the Community, Claiming Space in the Text, Claiming Space in/through Art. The contemporary contexts engaged with include South Africa, India, Brazil, Aotearoa New Zealand, the margins of the United States of America, and Australia. Within these contexts a diverse range of communities struggle "to claim space," including unemployed young people, LGBTIQA+ communities, women migrant workers, survivors of sexual violence, women struggling to survive economically, ethnic others, women at home and at work, women lamenting and resisting imperialisms, colonial settlers, aboriginal people, LGBTQIA+ Christians, black women and children.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction: On Claiming Space
Gerald O West, L Juliana Claassens, Sithembiso Zwane


Part 1: Claiming Space In The Community
Chapter 1
CBS as Invigorated Space: Discerning Potential Participatory Development Space with Ruth (1:22-2:23)
Gerald West, Sithembiso Zwane and Helder Carlos
Chapter 2
Decolonising Feminist Knowledge Production Processes: Reading Ruth with Vulnerable, Trafficked and Migrant Working Women
Sanjana Das
Chapter 3
Queer Samba: Exploring the Limits and Possibilities of Indecency in Our Lady Aparecida's Devotion in Brazil
Giovanna Sarto and André Sidnei Musskopf

Part 2: Claiming Space In The Text
Chapter 4
A Closed Space: The Ten Women Shut Up by David
David Tombs
Chapter 5
Claiming Economic Space: The “Courageous Woman” of Proverbs 31:10-31 within the Context of her Ancient Household
Hendrik L. Bosman
Chapter 6
“Who Let the Dogs Out”? Claiming Space With and Through Matthew's Canaanite Canine-Women
Tat-siong Benny Liew
Chapter 7
Paul's Conceived Space and Women's Lived Space: Teasing Out Gender and Agency in 1 Corinthians
Jeremy Punt

Part 3: Claiming Space In/Through Art
Chapter 8
The Narrative is Crumbling: (Female) Agency in Prophet Song (Paul Lynch) and Nahum 2
L. Juliana Claassens
Chapter 9
National Re/Production: Women and Contested Spaces in Judges and Beloved
Steed Vernyl Davidson
Chapter 10
Colonial Violence in the Contested Space of Ecclesiastical-Stained-glass
Alexandra Banks
Chapter 11
Ons Kom tot Verhaal: Reflections on the Development of a Queer Narrative Archive as a Queer Invented Space
Charlene van der Walt and R. Louis van der Riet

List of Contributors

Product details

Published Nov 27 2025
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 272
ISBN 9781666977424
Imprint T&T Clark
Illustrations 1 bw illus
Dimensions 9 x 6 inches
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Anthology Editor

L. Juliana Claassens

L. Juliana Claassens is Professor in Old Testament…

Anthology Editor

Sithembiso Zwane

Anthology Editor

Gerald O. West

Gerald West is Professor and Director of the Insti…

Contributor

Alexandra Banks

Contributor

Hendrik Bosman

Contributor

Helder Carlos

Contributor

L. Juliana Claassens

L. Juliana Claassens is Professor in Old Testament…

Contributor

Sanjana Das

Contributor

Steed Vernyl Davidson

Steed Davidson received his Ph.D. from Union Theol…

Contributor

Jeremy Punt

Contributor

Giovanna Sarto

Contributor

David Tombs

David Tombs is Director of the Centre for Theology…

Contributor

Gerald O. West

Gerald West is Professor and Director of the Insti…

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