“Gender, Scripture, and Psychoanalysis” Research Group

The research group "Gender, Scripture, and Psychoanalysis" explores the dynamic intersections between gender studies, scriptural interpretation, and psychoanalytical theory. Through this interdisciplinary lens, we examine how sacred texts engage with and shape gender constructs, while utilizing psychoanalytical frameworks to uncover deeper patterns of meaning and interpretation. Our methodological approach combines close textual analysis with contemporary gender theory and psychoanalytical insights, offering new perspectives on traditional scriptural narratives and their ongoing relevance for understanding gender dynamics in religious contexts.

Groupe members: Zoe Boyle, Sabine Grenz, Sára Eszter Heidl, Esther Heinrich, Sophia Olga Kungurtseva, Nikola Pantic and me.

Sacred Texts and Systemic Power: Psychoanalytical Readings of the Sarah-Hagar Paradigm

This reading circle examines how different experiences of systemic power influence our interpretation of biblical narratives, with particular attention to domestic spaces and intimate relationships. Through careful reading of the Sarah and Hagar story alongside theoretical works on power, surveillance, and resistance, we will explore how various interpretative frameworks illuminate both ancient texts and contemporary experiences.

Format

  • Monthly meetings (2 hours)

  • First hour: Discussion of primary biblical text and traditional interpretations

  • Second hour: Engagement with theoretical readings and contemporary perspectives

Proposed Readings

Session 1: Biblical Foundations Genesis 16

Tuesday, January 21, 2025,16:00-18:00, office of the research centre "Religion and Transformation" (Schenkenstraße 8-10, 1010 Vienna, 2nd floor, room 053)

  • Primary text: Genesis 16 and 21 (Sarah and Hagar narratives)

  • Jessica Benjamin’s “The Bonds of Love” (1988) - Chapter on “Gender and Dominance”

  • J. Cheryl Exum’s “Fragmented Women: Feminist (Sub)versions of Biblical Narratives” (1993) - Chapter on Sarah and Hagar

  • Discussion focus: Initial mapping of power dynamics, introduction to psychoanalytical concepts of recognition and domination

Session 2: Biblical Foundations Genesis 21

Tuesday, February 25, 16:00-18:00, RaT office (Schenkenstraße 8-10, 1010 Vienna, 2nd floor, room 053)

  • Nancy Chodorow’s “The Reproduction of Mothering” (1999) - Selected chapters on female relationships

  • Phyllis Trible’s “Texts of Terror” (1984) - Chapter on Hagar

  • Jessica Benjamin’s “Like Subjects, Love Objects” (1995) - Chapter on “Recognition and Destruction”

  • Discussion focus: Mother-daughter dynamics, female competition, internalized patriarchal structures

Session 3: Contemporary Literary and Cultural Reception

Tuesday, March 18, 16:00-18:00, office of the research centre "Religion and Transformation" (Schenkenstraße 8-10, 1010 Vienna, 2nd floor, room 053)

  • Alicia Ostriker’s “The Nakedness of the Fathers” (1994) - Sarah-Hagar section

  • Savina Teubal’s “Sarah the Priestess” (1984) - Selected chapters

  • Contemporary literary adaptations (e.g., “The Handmaid‘s Tale” by Margaret Atwood)

  • Discussion focus: Modern interpretations, cultural transformations of the narrative, power dynamics in contemporary readings

Session 4: Power Dynamics in Post-Socialist Contexts

Tuesday, April 15, 16:00-18:00, office of the research centre "Religion and Transformation" (Schenkenstraße 8-10, 1010 Vienna, 2nd floor, room 053)

  • Funk, Nanette. "A Very Tangled Knot: Official State Socialist Women's Organizations, Women's Agency and Feminism in Eastern European State Socialism" (2014)

  • Eva Fodor’s “Working Difference” (2003) - Selected chapters

  • Selected readings from Jiřina Šiklová on women’s relationships in post-socialist contexts

  • Discussion focus: Connecting biblical narrative to contemporary power dynamics, especially in post-socialist contexts