Review of:

Deryn Guest, When Deborah Met Jael: Lesbian Biblical Hermeneutics. London: SCM, 2005. Viii + 306 pp. ISBN 0334029589

Deryn Guest is lecturer in Biblical studies at the University of Birmingham. His book is organized into two major parts. Part 1 is titled "Identifying the ‘Lesbian' in Lesbian Hermeneutics" and consists of two chapters. Chapter 1 which is entitled "Who is the lesbian in a lesbian-identified hermeneutic?", discusses the word ‘lesbian' and attempts to define who may be called a lesbian. This chapter concludes with an explanation of why Guest prefers the phrase ‘lesbian-identified hermeneutic' and why she prefers it rather than that of queer. In chapter 2 entitled "Lesbian-identified hermeneutics in context" Guest discusses the various ways in which lesbians find themselves situated and subsequently oppressed, depending upon the specific context in which they live. In the first part of the chapter Guest examines the non-Transatlantic contexts where, in some cases, the criminalization of same-sex relationships has led to state-sanctioned oppression of lesbians. However, she also points to the fact that although the oppressive factor in other contexts is silence, it also has its own deadly effects. In a second section she focuses on the situation in England, showing how a wide range of civil discrimination and stigmatization continues to prevail. And, finally, the chapter explores how Christianity has contributed to and sustained the criminalization and civil discrimination of lesbians (2005:5).

Part 2 is titled "Guiding Principles for Lesbian-Identified Hermeneutics" and identifies four principles for a lesbian-identified hermeneutic. These four principles are discussed in four chapters. Chapter 3 is entitled "Resistance: commitment to a hermeneutic of hetero-suspicion" and identifies the first principle – that of resistance to the effects of silence and erasure that have characterized lesbian history. Taking to task the common (mis)conception that there are ‘no lesbians in the Bible', it examines the textual strategies that have rendered female homoeroticism invisible before offering suggestions as to how these strategies might be disrupted.

Chapter 4 is titled "Rupture: commitment to the disruption of sex-gender binaries" and deals with the second principle, the commitment to rupturing sex/gender categories. It examines the way in which selected texts have been used to enforce a hetero-homosexual binary that appears to be ordained by God. Three strategies for dealing with this problem are identified before the chapter closes with an explanation of why she believes it is vital not only to continue engaging with the 'texts of terror' debate but to deepen and widen the discussion (2005:6).

Chapter 5 is titled "Reclamation: commitment to strategies of appropriation" and examines the usefulness of queer theory and its application to scripture. It demonstrates how the scriptures contain elements that come alive to lesbian and gay-identified readers and how those scriptures can be interpreted in ways not conventionally explored.

The final chapter, entitled "Re-engagement: commitment to making a difference", explains why the lesbian-hermeneutic is committed to making a difference. It calls for scholars to recognize and address the effects and consequences of their exegesis for contemporary contexts. It confronts scriptural authority. This chapter considers how lesbian and gay-identified and queer readers position themselves vis-a-vis the scriptures (2005:6). In the final section she argues that a lesbian-identified hermeneutics would be best expressed by a metissage – an umbrella space for those committed to social, political, economic and religious justice and transformation.

In general the chapters are clearly presented. Its strength lies in the fact that it suggests a different way of reading the biblical text. However, several issues need attention. First, the concept of lesbian-identified hermeneutics is not clearly explained in chapter 2 and elsewhere. Second, the use of scripture is not always clear in chapter 3. And, finally, the concept of mujerista is not clearly explained and spelt out.

Reviewed 2006-08-17 by Elelwani Bethuel Farisani, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. E-mail: farisanie@ukzn.ac.za