What is Midrash?

Midrash has come up a number of times in our conversations over the last few weeks. Rachel Held Evans suggests the following link in her Reading Guide for Inspired on understanding midrash:

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/midrash-101/

Of note from the article: "Midrash responds to contemporary problems and crafts new stories, making connections between new Jewish realities and the unchanging biblical text."

Rachel Held Evans also suggests the following article from the Jewish Women's Archive as an example of midrash on Rachel and Leah:

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/leah-midrash-and-aggadah

I have frequently found the Jewish Women's Archive to be a source of excellent, thought-provoking material. It's worth a look around if you have more questions or interest in how some stories, especially those about women have been understood over time. Since I mentioned the story of the concubine from Judges 19, here is the Jewish Women's Archive article on the midrash concerning that story:

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/concubine-of-levite-midrash-and-aggadah

Rachel Held Evans interview on The Liturgist

In case you're interested: Rachel Held Evans was recently on the podcast, The Liturgist, and you can hear the episode here: http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2018/9/20/christian-part-1

Inspired by Rachel Held Evans

What's brewing at Morning Blend? 

Starting September 5th, 2018 we will begin reading Inspired by Rachel Held Evans. We'll be taking this book at the slow pace of one chapter a week this autumn. A FREE printable study guide can be found on Rachel Held Evans website: here. 

From the website: 

If the Bible isn’t a science book, instruction manual, or position paper, then what is it? New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans invites readers on a journey of rediscovery as she explores the magic of the Bible, engaging the old, familiar stories in new ways that honor the past and enlighten the present.

Drawing upon recent scholarship and literary analysis, Evans creatively retells our favorite Bible stories, explaining their contexts and possible interpretations, and then connects these ancient stories to our present-day ones. Using her well-honed literary instincts and experience in both evangelical and mainline Protestant traditions, Evans discovers a way of understanding that avoids noncommittal liberalism on one hand and strident literalism on the other.