Today’s recording is a bonus Scripture reading for “Nasty Woman,” Episode 1 of Re-Weirding the Bible and Resisting Empire: Esther in 8 Episodes.

“Nasty Woman” has already been shared

- in written form as a blog

- and in audio form on this podcast.

We discovered in Episode 1 that the book of Esther is not meant to be read silently or seriously. Esther is a melodramatic FARCE, and her listeners are continuously invited to respond back to her with boo’s and laughter, with cheers and jeers.

- If you have a discussion group you’re working through the guide with, I really hope you’ll try reading out loud with each other.

- But if you’re working through the guide independently, I’m happy to try to do my best here as your narrator. I'm trying to get silly for you! And I’m imagining you getting into it as I read, responding with your boos and cheers! And yes, I am faking my way through all the name pronunciations :)

This reading of Esther 1 is in the NRSVue version; you should use whatever version works best for you.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bigflipspirituality.substack.com

Welcome! This is the audio version of an episode also shared in written, blog form HERE.

(If you missed it, the intro to this guide to Esther can be found HERE as podcast, HERE as blog.)

HERE's the Raw Reading Cheat Sheet so you can read Esther 1 on your own before listening to the Episode Notes.

And very soon, I'll share via podcast a dramatic read-aloud of the text for this episode: Esther chapter 1.

Other potentially helpful references:

Lauren Winner, “Into Esther,” Catapult Magazine

Kay Higuera Smith, a scholar & friend informally cited

Pete Enns, “Walter Brueggemann and Scripture as Counter-Imagination to the Empires of Man”

My "Laughter Is Resistance" post

Adele Berlin, cited in Carol Bechtel’s Esther commentary

Rachel Held Evans, "Vashti: The Other Queen"

Claire K. McKeever-Burgett, on the sacred no - "Queen Vashti | Dissenter," from In the Beginning Were the Women

Erna Kim Hackett, "Why I Stopped Talking About Racial Reconciliation and Started Talking About White Supremacy"

If you’d like to support this work...

I’m so encouraged by every subscribe, share, comment or like…

You can also buy me a coffee :)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bigflipspirituality.substack.com

Welcome to my first episode, an audio version of the blogged intro to Re-Weirding the Bible and Resisting Empire, "Get What You Want from This Guide." My initial plan was just to use the podcast to share readaloud episodes in the book of Esther, but since I'm podcasting, why not create an audio version of the guide as well? I'm a podcast and audiobook fan myself.

Friends, as you might be able to tell, I'm a newbie podcaster, so if you're a pro, feel free to send me your best beginner tips!

If you find my work interesting, inspiring or helpful, you can offer me encouragement anytime by commenting, subscribing, sharing (sharing is caring!), liking or even buying me a coffee.

Side note for any pastor types reading along

I do offer an Esther sermon series guide on my website (the first sermon’s notes are available as a sample).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bigflipspirituality.substack.com