Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.
<jats:sec><jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The book of Ruth may be read as a countertext, that is a text embedded within the scriptural text that forms a counter-current to its prevailing concepts or motifs, thereby enriching the Scripture as a whole. Ruth deviates from dominant biblical norms in four interlocking ways, producing a radical vision while remaining seamlessly attached to the prevailing traditions that it implicitly transforms. It is essentially a pastoral idyll yet it is woven into the history of Israel. It is strongly gynocentric, though framed by an androcentric closure. It represents God as uniquely associated with fertility and invokes the presence of God primarily through the chesed, kindness, of the story's characters. Lastly, the treatment of land and of boundaries between lands, in Ruth, does not entail conquest. Elsewhere in biblical narrative, land is associated with nation and empire; here it is associated with fertility and benevolence. Ostensibly taking place during the time of the Judges, the book of Ruth is a virtual antidote to its sagas of slaughter. It is a story about the possibilities of peace.</jats:p> </jats:sec>
Biblical Interpretation – Brill
Published: Jan 1, 2002
Read and print from thousands of top scholarly journals.
Already have an account? Log in
Bookmark this article. You can see your Bookmarks on your DeepDyve Library.
To save an article, log in first, or sign up for a DeepDyve account if you don’t already have one.
Copy and paste the desired citation format or use the link below to download a file formatted for EndNote
Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
All DeepDyve websites use cookies to improve your online experience. They were placed on your computer when you launched this website. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.