Description: This edited collection invites fresh readings of play and storytelling in the Barbie movie (2023) through the lens of the Bible and theology.
Brief description: Christopher B. Hays is D. Wilson Moore Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Fuller Seminary and a research associate of the University of Pretoria (S.A.).
Review Quotes:
"Greta Gerwig's Barbie is a goldmine for theological and religious reflection, and the essays edited by Hays and Henning illustrate the wondrous depths of this cinematic resource. These essays embrace "serious play" by constructing a diverse range of fruitful and mutually illuminating dialogues between Barbie and the Bible. These interdisciplinary conversations help us rethink and reinterpret Barbie and biblical texts. This volume is a treasure for those interested in the interplay of Bible and Film, Gender, Material Culture, and Pop Culture. This book is more than Kenough!" --Matthew S. Rindge, Gonzaga University
"With intellectual gusto and interdisciplinary verve, this book investigates how Barbie-both like and with the Bible-functions as a cultural, philosophical, and theological site of human contemplation. In doing so, it not only illuminates the Barbie and Bible subjects at hand, but also invites readers to think metacritically about how and why we relate to our objects of study. For anyone interested in the productivity of toying with new questions through playful possibility, this book is a must-read." --Sarah Emanuel, Loyola Marymount University