Age Matters: An Intersectional Perspective on the Incestuous Rape of Lot's Daughters (Gn 19:30-38)
(2026) 2026 European Association of Biblical Studies Graduate Symposium — Location: University of Lisbon, Portugal (17.February.2026)
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- Rape and incest cultures have become central concerns of fourth wave feminism, and Biblical Studies have channeled this cultural and political force. Recent scholarship reveals the Bible's role in perpetuating these violences, subjecting biblical 'Texts of Terror' to enriched feminist readings. This paper contributes to this critical conversation by subjecting the narrative of incestuous rape in Gen 19:30-38 to feminist analytical tools. Through the feminist concept of 'male gaze', this paper revisits the ambiguous reception history of the pericope: Lot's daughters are alternatively conceived as saint or seductress, trapped within the virgin/whore dichotomy. With the notion of 'oppositional' or 'feminist gaze', I will examine the resistance strategies deployed by feminist scholars to read against the patriarchal ideology inscribed in the biblical text and its reception. This will lead to a focus on what seems to be a blind spot both in traditional and feminist critique of the text: age. Intersectional theory will thus be instrumental in reframing the incestuous rape of Lot's daughters not only as gender domination but also as adult-child domination.
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Mbani, A. (2026). Age Matters: An Intersectional Perspective on the Incestuous Rape of Lot’s Daughters (Gn 19:30-38). 2026 European Association of Biblical Studies Graduate Symposium, University of Lisbon, Portugal. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/273411