Publications

The Bible Now (with Richard Elliot Friedman), Oxford University Press, June 2011. 

“Without taking and arguing a particular side, this is a lucid discussion, informed by strong scholarship, of the biblical texts at issue for the issues. Some readers may wish for ‘the answers’; the rest of us will be relieved at their absence.” —Publishers Weekly

“A refreshingly honest look at what the ancient Bible teaches us about contemporary controversies, as explained by biblical scholars who can write for lay readers. You will be surprised at their novel interpretations of texts that have been misused to justify both right and left wing positions on homosexuality, abortion and capital punishment.” — Alan Dershowitz, Genesis of Justice and The Trials of Zion

“Friedman and Dolansky offer fascinating observations and, with lucidity, passion, and humor, they help all readers across the religious spectrum to ask the right questions.” — Amy-Jill Levine, University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University

“This is a timely book. Friedman and Dolansky look at several hot-button issues and give a dispassionate, scholarly presentation of the biblical evidence. That evidence is seldom if ever clear cut, and does not provide the kind of absolute authority that ideologues often claim. This is an excellent study in the problems of applying the Bible to modern issues.” — John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale University

“Friedman and Dolansky are accomplished and respected scholars who bring their knowledge to bear on all of the contemporary issues under discussion in The Bible Now . . . [C]apable of addressing a lay readership with perfect clarity and explaining even the most abstruse concepts in plain English. That is what makes The Bible Now not only an important book but a useable one.” —Jewish Journal

“[Friedman and Dolansky] skillfully employ an impressive array of scholarly tools and insights, including literary criticism, archaeology, anthropology, and ancient languages . . . A fine example of careful scholarship, even if one may disagree with some of the authors’ specific conclusions.” —Library Journal

“This is a thoughtful, well-researched, and well-written analysis of modern issues and how the ancient texts can give us wisdom and guidance in making decisions.” —Jewish Book World

“In fascinating passages that shed new light on some of today’s most passionate disputes, the authors reveal how the Bible is frequently misunderstood, misquoted, mistranslated, and misused…The Bible Now shows us how we can–and cannot–use this ancient source of wisdom to address our most current and pressing issues.” —Jewish Media Review

Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Biblical Perspectives on the Relationship Between Religion and Magic, Pryor Pettengill Press, Eisenbrauns, Indiana, USA: 2008.

“The book is written for scholars of biblical studies; it employs discipline-specific language, delves into the specialized scholarship, and is published by a press with an emphasis in this academic area. Still, it … can be accessed by nonspecialists, and its conclusions should be interesting for students of Old Testament culture and biblical texts…. Dolansky’s methodology and theoretical stance make the book valuable.” — David A. Allred, Snow College, BYU Studies Vol 50, no 4 (2011).

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion, Gender, and Sexuality in the Ancient World (co-edited with Sarah Shectman), Bloomsbury, 2025. 

“Dolansky and Shectman have brought together a talented group of international scholars to highlight the absolute centrality of gendered historiography, namely combining gender studies with traditional historical critical methods. The essays use current theories–but without unnecessary jargon–to suggest new, clever, and provocative readings, opening up broader interpretive possibilities for many ancient texts.” —Marc Zvi Brettler, Duke University, USA

“I challenge anyone to peruse Dolansky and Shectman’s Handbook of Religion, Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient Near East without delight. Authors’ voices shine through, including a wide array of world-class specialists across numerous approaches. This handbook fills longstanding gaps and gifts pedagogues with clear, robust definitions and accessible methodology. Researchers far beyond ancient Near Eastern studies will benefit from taking the editors’ contribution of ‘gendered historiography’ as a model for teaching and research in any historical period.” —Sara Parks, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada

“The discipline of biblical studies can feel overrun with handbooks – do we really need another? In the case of the Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion, Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient Near East, the answer is a resounding YES. This is a remarkable volume in its breadth, depth, and quality of scholarship. Shawna Dolansky and Sarah Shectman have curated an excellent resource for scholars and students alike, and I cannot wait to use this handbook in class.” —Rhiannon Graybill, University of Richmond, USA

“Employing diverse methodological approaches to the material culture of the ancient Near East, the authors demonstrate how gender, sexuality, and religion were mutually constructed and negotiated at all levels of ancient societies. These cutting-edge essays offer valuable insights, and I highly recommend the volume to anyone seeking to understand the interconnections between religion, gender, and sexuality in antiquity and their relevance today.” —Hanna Tervanotko, McMaster University, Canada

Gendered Historiography: Theoretical Considerations and Case Studies, co-edited with Sarah Shectman, special issue of The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol. 19, 2019.

Sacred History, Sacred Literature: Essays on Ancient Israel, The Bible, and Religion in Honor of R.E. Friedman on his 60th Birthday, Eisenbrauns, 2008.

“A fine collection of contemporary topics discussed by leading scholars in the field.” –Bob Becking, Utrecht University, Review of Biblical Literature, March 2010.

“Historical Issues and Geographical Routes of the Exodus,” in The Cambridge Companion to the Exodus, eds. Brent Strawn and Keith Bodner, Cambridge University Press, 2026 (peer-reviewed; awaiting proofs).

“Where’s the Magic?” in The Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures 5 Minutes at a Time, eds. Philippe Guillaume and Diana Edelman, Equinox 2024: pp. 253-258.

“The Epic Bible: The Authorization of Collective Identity in Exile and Defeat,” (with Sarah Cook) invited contribution to The Epic World, a “Routledge Worlds” collection, ed. Pamela Lothspeich, Routledge, 2024: pp. 91-103.

“Interpreting Iconography: A Polysemic and Multivalent Approach to Understanding Judean Pillar Figurines,” in Epigraphy, Iconography, and the Bible, eds. Meir and Edith Lubetski, Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2021: pp. 137-171.

“Rejecting ‘Patriarchy’: Reflections on Feminism, Biblical Scholarship, and Social Perspective” in Scribes and Scribalism, ed. Mark Leuchter. Hebrew Bible in Social Perspective. London: Bloomsbury, 2020: pp. 133-148.

“… an extremely useful overview of different types of feminist approaches and particularly the problematic term patriarchy.” William M. Schniedewind, UCLA, Review of Biblical Literature, October 2023 [this was a comment on my contribution specifically, in Schniedewind’s larger review of the book as a whole].

“Re-Figuring Fertility Figurines From Biblical Judah: Fetishistic Functions of the Feminine Form,” in Between Israelite Religion and Old Testament Theology: Essays on Archaeology, History, and Hermeneutics, ed. Robert Miller, Peeter’s Press, 2016: pp. 5-30.

“Syria-Canaan,” in The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Mediterranean Religions, ed. Barbette E. Spaeth, Cambridge, 2013: pp. 55-75.

“A Goddess in the Garden?” in Milk and Honey: Essays on Ancient Israel and the Bible in Appreciation of the Judaic Studies Program at the University of California, San Diego, eds. S. Malena and D. Miano, Eisenbrauns, 2006: pp. 3-21.

“Omitting the Omissions: The Case for Haplography in the Hebrew Bible” (with David Noel Freedman) in ‘Imagining’ Biblical Worlds: Studies in Spatial, Social, and Historical Constructs in Honour of James W. Flanagan, eds. D. M. Gunn and P. McNutt, Bloomsbury, 2002: pp. 99-116.

“After-life: The Biblical Silence” (with Richard Friedman) in Judaism in Late Antiquity, Part 4: Death, Life-After-Death, Resurrection and the World-to-Come in the Judaisms of Antiquity, eds. A. J. Avery- Peck and J. Neusner, Brill, Leiden, 2000: pp. 35-59.

“What is Gendered Historiography and How Do You Do It?” (with Sarah Shectman) in Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol 19, 2019: pp. 3-18.

“A (W)ḥol(e)(y) Breach: Philology, Gender, and Meaning in the Holiness Code,” in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel, Vol 8. Mohr Siebeck, 2019: pp. 399-415.

“Deuteronomy 34: The Death of Moses, Not of Source Criticism,” Journal of Biblical Literature, 133, no. 3, 2014: pp. 669-676.

“Pentateuch,” (with Richard Friedman) in EncyclopaediaJudaica, eds. F. Skolnik and M. Berenbaum, Thomson Gale Press, 2007: pp. 730-751.

“To the Freshman class of 2025: Will you let AI think for you, or learn how to think for yourself?” The Globe & Mail, August 30 2025. 

“My Classroom Will be AI-Free This Fall,” Maclean’s Magazine, August 2025 (appears in November 2025 print edition as “Keep Classrooms AI-Free”).

“Why the humanities are a good choice for university-bound students,” The Ottawa Citizen, November 2, 2020.

“Carleton University professor vows to keep her classroom AI-free this Fall” CFRA live, July 20, 2025.

“How is AI Changing Your Life?” CBC Cross-Country Check-up with Ian Hanomansing, August 31, 2025.

JewishQuest: Between the Lines, in conversation with Simon Eder. Episode 07: ויצא: “Jacob and the Identity of Israel,” July 2021.

JewishQuest: Between the Lines, in conversation with Simon Eder. Episode 44: פִּינְחָס: “An Historical-Geographical Approach to the Daughters of Zelophehad,” November 2021.