Gender Expansive Leadership – Judges 4:1-7

What this episode covers

In today’s episode, we answer a listener question from Tumblr asking for book recommendations for their mom to read. While we share some really good books that we think are going to help anyone who wants to learn more about queerness, we also want you to check first if that’s something your parent wants. We then queer the text from Judges which celebrates people who defy gender norms. We read about Deborah who was the leader of Israel at that time. Why is that important to note? Remember that women were considered inferior and were not to hold any high positions, but in this text, the leader was Deborah — a woman. Key takeaways: Election week update [0:44] The super-secret project will be out on November 17 [8:10] A listener asked for a recommendation on queer books for their mom to read [13:34] Is your mom asking for a book? [15:05] Our recommendations [15:22] Queering the Bible: Judges 4:1-7 [20:46] People who defy gender norms [22:24]  Importance of gender expansiveness in scriptures [24:10] Books mentioned in this episode: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth Queer Virtue by Rev. Liz Edmond Radical Love by Patrick Cheng Chicken by Chase Night Autoboyography by Christina Lauren Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera Links and group mentioned: Queers The Word – Free sample PFLAG Self care If you want to support the Patreon and help keep the podcast up and running, you can learn more and pledge your support at patreon.com/queertheology If you’d like to be featured in future episodes, email your question or Bible passage suggestion to [email protected]  Judges 4:1-7 After Ehud had died, the Israelites again did things that the Lord saw as evil. So the Lord gave them over to King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, and he was stationed in Harosheth-ha-goiim. The Israelites cried out to the Lord because Sisera had nine hundred iron chariots and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly for twenty years. Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was a leader of Israel at that time. She would sit under Deborah’s palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in the Ephraim highlands, and the Israelites would come to her to settle disputes. She sent word to Barak, Abinoam’s son, from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Hasn’t the Lord, Israel’s God, issued you a command? ‘Go and assemble at Mount Tabor, taking ten thousand men from the people of Naphtali and Zebulun with you. I’ll lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, to assemble with his chariots and troops against you at the Kishon River, and then I’ll help you overpower him.’” Photo by Paul Hanaoka The post Gender Expansive Leadership – Judges 4:1-7 appeared first on Queer Theology.