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"The Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narrative"

Jane Schaberg wrote multiple publications on biblical narratives from her feminist perspective. Schaberg explains that the motive behind writing these feminist theological interpretations are because there are many times in which she asks the question, "why?" for many different biblical writings. She continues to explain that feminists, as opposed to non feminists, are very bold in questioning difficulties that they come across. In one of her most controversial works, The Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives, she expresses her interests in a woman's role in society in biblical times. Jane Schaberg's main point in writing this book, is to interpret, by taking the gospel readings of Matthew and Luke, the conception of Jesus.

Jane Schaberg takes the bible and uses feminist criticism to approach the text four different ways throughout her book. One approach exposes the "androcentrism and sexism in the text and its interpretations." Another way she does this is by approaching the "counter biblical sexism by reinterpreting texts that have been distorted." A third way that she goes about doing this is by retelling and being sympathetic to the woman victim. The last feminist approach to writings are reconstructing biblical history. Jane Schaberg's book does not use any one specific category but integrates them all together. All four of these different categories to critique a work have one central theme in common, and that is reading as a woman and looking into the oppression and power of women. Schaberg, in contrast to many others, reads and interprets from a feminist stand point. One thing that she talks about in the introduction to her book is how so many women have been taught to read as men. She informs the reader how, "Women, in fact, have been trained to read as men, to identify against themselves with a masculine perspective and experience, which is presented as the human experience". Jane Schaberg talks about how to become a feminist critique one must become resistant rather than an assenting reader. By doing this, a woman shouldn't conform to what so many women have been taught, which is to think with a male mind.

One of the main biblical stories that Schaberg comments on and discusses in her book, "The Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narrative", is the virginal conception of Jesus by Mary. She goes on to say that Mary is reduced as a woman when contemporary scholars state that the conception of Jesus was a direct act by God. Temporary scholars suggest that Jesus' conception was, "a direct act of the Creator himself such as never happened before in the case of any other human being..God, in his free, underivative action, causes Jesus to be born, who entirely under the control of his Spirit, will accomplish the saving presence of God." A point that she makes is that initiative is taken by men in our society just like it was by God who initiated the conception of Jesus, while Mary (women) represent "continuity of species". Schaberg ponders in more depth the belief that Jesus was born of Mary, a virgin. She mentions how Mary, especially to those who practice Roman Catholicism, find great beauty and attraction towards her. Feminist also look at Mary in a positive way seeing a liberating woman who is so often oppressed. Although Mary is honored and held in a very high regard, Simone de Beauvoir, who is mentioned in Schaberg's book, states that, "the image of Mary kneeling before her son is the supreme masculine victory."

One of Jane Schaberg's other arguments about the Gospel of Luke is how women are portrayed compared to men. She focuses in on how in Luke, men play the more important role in comparison to women. Jesus' twelve apostles are men and while in Luke 8, women are followers of Jesus, they were not identified nor given names. She recognizes the main patriarchal system that was so very evident in these times. Although she sees this reoccurring pattern of oppression towards women, she realizes the importance of women in the mission of Jesus. Schaberg feels that men have this superiority over women in these biblical texts.

Jane Schaberg, as a Roman Catholic woman, received a lot of hate mail and was distanced from many people for her feminist criticism on the infancy narratives of Jesus. Cardinal Adam Maida, an administrator at the University of Detroit Mercy wrote out in defense of the virginal conception after Jane Schaberg's book came out. Her book was disregarded by the Catholic Press and other popular religious press. The Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives had many mixed reviews, but was very widely recognized. Her writing was "noted for her knowledge, balance, and exegetical expertise; judgements of her exegetical achievement, however included everything from enthusiastically positive, to respectful but unconvinced, to resoundingly negative".