JOSHUA STUDY GROUP - PHASE 2
Gender, Genocide and Gaza: A Conversation on the Book of Esther with Prof. Sarojini Nadar
Join us for a compelling conversation with Prof. Sarojini Nadar as we continue our exploration of how biblical conquest narratives have been interpreted, weaponized, and implemented throughout history.
Building on our Joshua Study Group's initial phase, where we examined responses to conquest readings from Palestinian, Jewish, and queer ex-evangelical Christian perspectives, this Phase 2 event brings us into dialogue with Prof. Nadar's recent work on the Book of Esther. Her analysis addresses strikingly similar themes: the troubling implications of biblical texts that depict violence, their canonization, and their contemporary relevance to ongoing conflicts—particularly in Gaza.
Prof. Nadar, holder of the Desmond Tutu SARChI Research Chair in Religion and Social Justice at the University of Cape Town, is a leading transdisciplinary scholar whose work examines how religion and culture both sustain and offer resources for overcoming oppression. As an activist-academic committed to intersectional socially engaged scholarship, she brings critical feminist and decolonial perspectives to bear on questions of biblical interpretation and social justice.
This conversation promises to deepen our collective inquiry into how we read sacred texts responsibly in contexts of violence and occupation, and how we might ask better questions rather than rush to easy answers.
To learn more about Prof. Nadar's groundbreaking approach, we encourage you to read her recent interview about the book, where she discusses how the Book of Esther constructs hierarchies of life and death through gendered theological necropolitics, and how this ancient text continues to be mobilized in contemporary political discourse.
Zoom Call with Prof. Nadar
Date: Saturday, November 29th
Time: 9:00 - 10:30 am
This event is open to all who wish to engage these urgent questions with us.
While attendance is free, we would appreciate a suggested donation of $5 via e-transfer to office@tgucvan.com to help us cover costs. Insert “Joshua Study” in Memo.