Mad Studies and Samson's Spirit Possession

• In Event: Disability in the Hebrew Bible and Rabbinical Literature

Abstract

We crip the Bible, queer the Bible, but what about maddening the Bible? Mad studies moves beyond madness as a derogation, or madness as “mental illness,” asking probing questions about the origins, functions, and possibilities of mad bodyminds. In this paper, I present mad studies and biblical studies as companions, highlighting how interpretations can be maddened and how madness operates within texts. Specifically, I examine how Samson is maddened and controlled by YHVH’s troubling and rushing spirit. I note how the text is explicit about Samson’s disturbed and controlled bodymind, and about how this troubles those around Samson.

Author

• Kirsty Jones, Ashland University