Cheryl Anderson examines the treatment of women in the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 20.23-23.19) and the Deuteronomic Law. Cheryl Anderson examines the laws relating to women that are found in the Book of the Covenant and the Deuteronomic law. She argues that the laws can be divided into those that treat women similarly to men (defined as 'inclusive' laws) and those that treat women differently ('exclusive' laws). She then suggests that the exclusive laws, which construct gender as male dominance/female subordination, do not just describe violence against women but are inherently violent toward women. As a non-historical critique of ideology, critical theory is used to offer analytical insights that have significant implications for understanding gender constructions in both ancient and contemporary settings.

Author Biography

Cheryl Anderson is Assistant Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston.