Chicken Jesus
In the Gospels, Jesus compares himself to a chicken when he seeks to gather the children of Jerusalem “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matt. 23:37b / Luke 13:34b). In adopting this metaphor, he is engaging in nonhuman gender-bending, equating himself with a female bird that has more su...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2024
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| In: |
Biblical interpretation
Year: 2024, Volume: 32, Issue: 5, Pages: 548-571 |
| Further subjects: | B
chicken
B Jesus B wings B Birds B Animal Studies B Reception History B augury |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | In the Gospels, Jesus compares himself to a chicken when he seeks to gather the children of Jerusalem “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matt. 23:37b / Luke 13:34b). In adopting this metaphor, he is engaging in nonhuman gender-bending, equating himself with a female bird that has more success than he does. An Animal Studies perspective of the journey of the domesticated chicken from the rainforests of south-east Asia to the households of the Roman empire and the various roles that the chicken played in ancient society provides insight into humanity’s relationship with the chicken and supplies a new metaphor for the “domestication” of Jesus. Finally, a selection of creative uses of the image in later reception history shows how many have attempted to make the most of the winged Jesus’ lament at his own failure. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5152 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Biblical interpretation
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685152-20241778 |