World renowned biblical scholar to speak April 17 at College of Saint Benedict

Avivah Zornberg, widely acclaimed as one of the world's most captivating teachers of the Bible, will present "Letter from an Unknown Woman: Joseph's Dream" at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, in Room 204, Gorecki Center, College of Saint Benedict.  

 Drawing on literature, film and psychoanalytic thought to inform her literary analysis of the biblical narrative about Joseph's dreams, Zornberg will explore the complex interplay between conscious and unconscious levels of experience reflected in the narrative's message about what it means to be human.

 Many scholars refer to Zornberg as a brilliant teacher of Scripture. Daniel Boyarin, himself a renowned biblical scholar, has called Zornberg "the premier contemporary teacher of Torah (Bible) through literary analysis." Krista Tippett, host of America Public Media's "On Being," has called Zornberg "one of the great literary teachers of Torah." 

Zornberg earned her doctorate in English literature from Cambridge University and holds a visiting lectureship in the London School of Jewish Studies. After teaching English literature at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, she turned to teaching Sacred Scripture in a number of venues in Jerusalem, where she has drawn thousands of students to her lectures. 

Known for her highly original and provocative insights into biblical texts, Zornberg is the author of three books that have been widely acclaimed as masterpieces of biblical interpretation: "The Beginning of Desire: Reflections on Genesis," which won of the National Jewish Book Award; "The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus;" and "The Murmuring Deep: Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious."

This event is free and open to the public. The presentation is sponsored by the College of Saint Benedict Literary Arts Institute in collaboration with the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, a joint enterprise of Saint John's University and the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul.