Forbidden Fruit and Fig Leaves: Reading the Bible with the Shamed

Judith Rossall is tutor in Church History and Preaching at the Queen's Foundation, Birmingham, UK. She holds a PhD from Durham University on the theology of John Calvin and a ThM from Duke University, North Carolina, USA. She is an ordained Methodist Presbyter and served in two different Circuit appointments before teaching for 10 years at the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme in Salisbury, moving to her current appointment in 2013.

Pastorally sensitive and clearly written, this book provides a thoughtful engagement with the grand biblical storyline through the lens of shame. It avoids the all-too-common trap of ditching ‘sin’ and ‘guilt’ language entirely, but shows how sin and shame are interconnected in the life of the individual, the family and wider society. Judith Rossall takes the reader on a tour through the contours of the biblical storyline with expertise delivered through a light touch, handling the texts in creative ways that complement rather than contradict the traditional readings. Ultimately she concludes where one would hope: that in the cross, God has stood with us in our deepest experience of shame, and so there is healing to be found there for all who suffer with the age-old affliction of shame-ache. This book will be a welcome addition to the libraries of preachers, pastors, practical theologians, and all who seek to cooperate with God in bringing healing to the casualties of a broken world. -- Helen Paynter, Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, Bristol Baptist College