The Binding of Ikus—Reimagining the Akedah in Xena: Warrior Princess
Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac, known as the Akedah (Genesis 22), is one of the more puzzling events in the Hebrew Bible. Most rabbinic commentaries and elaborations (midrashim) take an apologetic stance, defending Abraham and drawing spiritual lessons from his disturbing actions. A surpr...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2022
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| In: |
Journal of religion and popular culture
Year: 2022, Volume: 34, Issue: 3, Pages: 190-200 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Genesis
/ Xena: Warrior Princess
/ Midrash
/ Adaptation (Literature)
/ Religious pluralism
/ Fanaticism
/ Movie
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| IxTheo Classification: | AG Religious life; material religion BH Judaism HB Old Testament ZG Media studies; Digital media; Communication studies |
| Further subjects: | B
Spirituality
B Feminism B Book of Genesis B Xena: Warrior Princess B Religious Pluralism B Akedah B Midrash |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son Isaac, known as the Akedah (Genesis 22), is one of the more puzzling events in the Hebrew Bible. Most rabbinic commentaries and elaborations (midrashim) take an apologetic stance, defending Abraham and drawing spiritual lessons from his disturbing actions. A surprisingly sensitive treatment is found in “Altared States,” a first-season episode of the fantasy television series Xena: Warrior Princess, which reimagines the Akedah as a cautionary tale of sibling rivalry, coercion, and religious zealotry gone awry. This paper examines the Xena episode in the context of the show’s religious skepticism, 1990s spiritual eclecticism, and classical interpretations of the biblical story. |
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| ISSN: | 1703-289X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion and popular culture
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