Critical Posthumanism and the Interpretation of the Bible's Animals

Scholars have increasingly turned their attention to the significance of animals in biblical literature. This article explores possibilities for interpreting such animals in dialogue with "critical posthumanism." After a summary of some of the emphases found in academic posthumanism, three dynamics of biblical literature are examined further in terms of such emphases: the roles of goats, sheep, and other domesticated animals as the Israelites' "companion species," who are constitutive partners in the creation of Israelite life, identity, and religion; characteristics of animal being that are understood in biblical literature to be shared with humans; and the shifting nature of relations among humans, animals, and God. Biblical examples are given for each and discussed briefly.