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Biblical scholar explores resistance in scripture and society at CMU
Biblical scholar Shayna Sheinfeld will deliver CMU’s 2026 J.J. Thiessen Lecture Series, “Resistance in Scripture and Society,” October 20–21.
Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) will welcome biblical scholar Dr. Shayna Sheinfeld to campus for this year's J.J. Thiessen Lecture Series, inviting the CMU community to consider what stories of resistance in scripture might have to say about living faithfully in the present.
The series, titled "Resistance in Scripture and Society," will focus on women in scripture and other marginalized groups who challenged systems of power, examining what resistance looks like and how it varies between individuals and communities.
The lectures will take place in the CMU Chapel (600 Shaftesbury Blvd.), beginning October 20 at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM and concluding October 21 at 11:00 AM.
Sheinfeld, Associate Professor of Religion at Augsburg University, examines the Bible, popular culture, gender, and the diversity of Judaism in the ancient world.
For John Boopalan, Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at CMU and one of the faculty organizers, Sheinfeld's background makes her particularly well suited to lead the conversation.
"Dr. Sheinfeld is a Jewish scholar of religion who tackles questions of identity and difference with a focus on justice," Boopalan says.
"Such a focus on justice in conversation with biblical texts and stories allows Dr. Sheinfeld to bring informed nuance and rootedness to the theme of resistance, which is the topic for the lecture series."
Boopalan says the topic also connects directly with the commitment of CMU to peace and justice through education.
"Given CMU's integral commitment to educating for peace and justice, understanding how ancient biblical and other characters resisted oppression would deepen our collective imagination for undertaking faithful acts that move us towards a hospitable common life," he says.
Sheila Klassen-Wiebe, Associate Professor of New Testament at CMU and a faculty organizer for the series, hopes the CMU community discovers the relevance of scripture in the unexpected people and places of contemporary life.
"We live in challenging times, with global political, economic, and environmental tensions," she says.
"People of faith are longing to come together to resist oppressive and authoritarian power."
"These lectures continue to address that longing by reminding us of women in our Scripture and faith tradition who courageously spoke truth to power and who can inspire our own resistance," Klassen-Wiebe says.
The lectures are as follows:
Lecture 1 | Resistance is Showing Up
Tuesday, October 20 at 11:00 AM
Examining the biblical figure of Esther, among others, this lecture will explore how the act of showing up—physical and rhetorical presence—can disrupt structures of power found in the text, and how showing up can be a way to resist today.
Lecture 2 | Resistance is Paying Attention
Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 PM
Using the narrative of Jael (Judges 4–5) and stories of the Zealots in Josephus, this lecture will examine how we as readers of ancient texts bring our own assumptions to ancient narratives—and how, by paying attention to text and context, we can identify and deconstruct our own internalized systems of oppression.
Lecture 3 | Resistance is Doing the Work
Wednesday, October 21 at 11:00 AM
In this final lecture, Sheinfeld will explore biblical models for doing the work of resistance, examining, among others, the apocryphal story of Judith and women followers of Jesus. Through this analysis, she will explore the many ways praxis can appear and consider the kinds of work people might undertake in the current environment.
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