“Appalling Bodies: Queer Figures Before and After Paul’s Letters”
by Joseph A. Marchal
Oxford University Press, 2022, 328 pages

At A Glance: “Appalling Bodies” uses queer theory to reexamine Paul’s letters, challenging traditional biblical interpretations and revealing how marginalized figures from ancient times connect to modern issues of gender and sexuality.​

Overview: “Appalling Bodies: Queer Figures Before and After Paul’s Letters” by Joseph A. Marchal explores how Paul’s letters, often cited in debates on gender, sexuality, and embodiment, reflect ancient Roman stereotypes about marginalized groups like women, eunuchs, slaves, and barbarians.

Using queer theory, Marchal reexamines these figures in light of contemporary issues of gender and sexual variation, offering fresh interpretations that challenge traditional readings of biblical texts. This book highlights the stigmatization and marginalization of these groups, disrupting conventional biblical interpretation and reshaping the way Paul’s letters are understood.

Also By This Author:

“Bodies on the Verge: Queering Pauline Epistles”

Thoughts from Readers: