The Coming of Lilith: Essays on Feminism, Judaism, and Sexual Ethics, 1972-2003

This first collection of Judith Plaskow's essays and short writings traces her scholarly and personal journey from her early days as a graduate student through her pioneering contributions to both feminist theology and Jewish feminism to her recent work in sexual ethics.

Accessibly organized into four sections, the collection begins with several of Plaskow's foundational essays on feminist theology, including one previously unavailable in English. Section II addresses her nuanced understanding of oppression and includes her important work on anti-Judaism in Christian feminism. Section III contains a variety of short and highly readable pieces that make clear Plaskow's central role in the creation of Jewish feminism, including the essential "Beyond Egalitarianism." Finally, section IV presents her writings on the significance of sexual ethics to the larger project of transforming Judaism.

Intelligently edited with the help of Rabbi Donna Berman, and including pieces never before published, The Coming of Lilith is indispensable for religious studies students, fans of Plaskow's work, and those pursuing a Jewish education.


About the Author
Judith Plaskow is a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College. She is the author of Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective and coeditor of Womanspirit Rising: A Feminist Reader in Religion (with Carol Christ) and Weaving the Visions: New Patterns in Feminist Spirituality.

Rabbi Donna Berman, Ph.D., is executive director of the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and a longtime activist. She was instrumental in the creation of the Reform movement's first gender-sensitive prayer books.