Description: The Bible has the unfortunate legacy of being associated with gross human rights violations as evident in the scriptural justification of apartheid in South Africa as well as slavery in the American South. What is more, the Hebrew Bible also contains numerous instances in which the worth or dignity of the female characters are threatened, violated or potentially violated, creating a situation of dehumanization in which women are viewed as less than fully human.
Brief description: Bruce Birch is Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC. His works include Let Justice Roll Down: Old Testament, Ethics, and Christian Life and A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament (with W. Brueggemann, T. Fretheim, and D. Petersen).