God, Sex And The Women Of The Bible

Book excerpt: In a book that will forever change the way we interpret women of the Bible, Shoni Labowitz's long-awaited follow-up to her celebrated Miraculous Living explores the lives of eight key women and reveals their relevance today. With impressive scholarship, Labowitz makes a compelling case that, contrary to popular notion, these women were in fact passionate, confident and unashamed of their bodies. In the luminous and inspiring pages of God, Sex and Women of the Bible, these charismatic figures come magically alive as sexual beings and show their modern-day counterparts how to wed spirituality with passion. Mining language and history, Labowitz reinterprets the stories of eight biblical women, unveiling in the process truths and nuances that have been hidden by centuries of patriarchy. She paints vivid portraits of heroines and lesser-known women alike, presenting compelling evidence that they subscribed to a matriarchal goddess culture coexisting with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Moses. Within this rich framework, long-silenced voices speak out to reveal the conflicts and perplexities of their own lives -- helping us, in the process, to resolve our own issues. In these sensuously illuminating pages, you'll meet: LEAH: Plain and overlooked, she triumphs over injustices and creates a relationship with God that provides a model to help us overcome our own poor body images and discover the Divine within RACHEL: Leah's sister, who uncovers the mysteries of the moon goddess and menstruation, presents us with a new approach to rest and relaxation EVE: The first woman encourages us to invite God into our own sexuality and teaches us how to fully reveal ourselves to our partner JOCHEBED: A midwife and the mother of Moses, she shows us how to make motherhood a spiritual experience DEBORAH: The story of this Judge of Israel will inspire us to fearlessly reach new personal and professional heights, enabling us to enhance our families' lives MIRIAM: Moses' sister, a gutsy lady who follows her intuition, is the perfect guide to help us experience menopause with dignity and grace THE PROPHET'S WIDOW: This anonymous woman helps us to deal with the loss of loved ones UNNAMED WOMEN OF THE BIBLE: These unacknowledged figures explain how to cope with the devastation of hysterectomies NAOMI: In the most mature sexual stage of a woman's life, this queen of crones reveals her age-old secrets and teaches us how to be more confident and alluring Never preachy or exclusionary, Labowitz renders these stories accessible to women of all faiths, striking the perfect balance between textual commentary and practical application. Complementing the ancient wisdom gleaned from Hebrew texts with the voices of the women she has met, she shows us how to reclaim our own sexuality by revealing God's place in it. In God, Sex and Women of the Bible, we discover our own potential to be meaningful, holy and passionate -- not just once a week, but every day of our lives.