A Politics of the female body. Reading Susanna (LXX Additions to Daniel) in a brutalized South African Society

Abstract

The South African society can be described as a society infested by rape and violence against female persons. Although nearly eighty percent of South African citizens see themselves as Christian, female rape and violence against women is a common occurrence. The question posed in the article is whether religious texts can be of value in healing the South African society. The paper argues that an uncritical reading of the story of Susanna (Additions to Daniel) in the Septuagint does not change negative attitudes and behaviour of males towards women. To articulate the argument, the article utilizes insights of Michel Foucault on the relation between power and knowledge, the submission of human bodies and the objectification of the subject. Furthermore, Peter L. Berger's understanding of the social construction of reality and the role of religion within societies is employed to examine the relationship between religion based gender biases and rape.