Dance in Scripture

"Angela Yarber has, for over a decade, studied the intersection of dance and worship by women in the Hebrew Bible. She thoughtfully and insightfully searches out the meanings and nuances of the Hebrew words used to narrate acts of worshipful dance and demonstrates that worship in the Hebrew Bible was active and embodied."

--Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford, Carolyn Ward Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages, McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University



"In this ground-breaking text, Angela Yarber connects seven of the central but oft-overlooked biblical narratives about dance with both the questions of gender and gender identity with dance history. The human body is ever forefront in her work as the site of gender, personhood, and presence yet always as revelatory of the meaning of the incarnation. Intermingling her scholarly studies with her pastoral acumen, she offers more than a 'feminist theories twist' to these biblical narratives by offering a practical and pragmatic guide for contemporary liturgy and for engaging her congregations in the depths of meaning in the Bible."

--Diane Apostolos-Cappadona, Catholic Studies Program, Georgetown University