Love and Violence: Marriage As Metaphor for the Relationship Between Yhwh and Israel in the Prophetic Books [Paperback]

Gerlinde Baumann (Author), Linda M. Maloney (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2003

Love and Violence offers a critical reading of the marriage metaphor in Hosea, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Lamentations, Isaiah, and the book of the Twelve Prophets as a means to depict the relationship between God and Israel established in the gender assumptions of the Bible. It examines the tension between the use of the marriage metaphor in ancient Israel and contemporary perspectives, and aids in the discovery, naming, and alleviation of violence—and its consequences—in Scripture and modern-day life.

Chapters under Part I: The Prophetic Marriage Imagery: Research and Background are "Overview of Recent Scholarly Discussion and Definition of the Author’s Position," "Understanding the Imagery," "Marriage, Adultery, ‘Harlotry’: The Vocabulary of the Prophetic Marriage Imagery," "Theological Location of the Prophetic Marriage Imagery: Berit as a Related Idea," and "Ancient Near Eastern Ideas as Background for Prophetic Marriage Imagery." Chapters under Part II: Textual Studies are "Hosea: ‘Primal Text’ of the Prophetic Marriage Imagery," "Jeremiah: YHWH’s Marriages with Israel and Judah," "Ezekial: Climax of the Marriage Imagery," "Isaiah: Destruction for Babylon, Salvation for Zion," and "The Twelve Prophets: The Marriage Imagery Completed." Chapters under Part III: Summary and Conclusion are "The Marriage Imagery in the Individual Prophetic Books," "Dealing wth the Texts of the Prophetic Marriage Imagery: Critical Reading," "The Problem of the God-Image," and "A Look Ahead! ."

Product Details

• Paperback: 271 pages
• Publisher: Liturgical Pr (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081465147X
• ISBN-13: 978-0814651476
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,749,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Movement by metaphors, April 27, 2005

By 

Robert Spender (Lancaster, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Love and Violence: Marriage As Metaphor for the Relationship Between Yhwh and Israel in the Prophetic Books (Paperback)

Baumann provides a concentrated study on the language of marriage in the prophets from a feminist theological perspective. A legitimate concern addressed by the book is the relationship between violence to women and the metaphorical language of the prophetic literature. Baumann provides an in-depth discussion of the major texts dealing with marriage in the prophetic literature giving special emphasis to terminology and metaphors. Her discussion is shaped by an acceptance of a post-modern feminist hermeneutic. The emphasis is upon the final form of the text. Little, for example, is done with genre.

Baumann supports Ricoeur's view of metaphorical language and its potential to form a new reality. Baumann decries the use of metaphorical language to support violence to women but then seeming falls into the same trap by using metaphorical language to depreciate God. Her view is that marriage in the prophets is negative, so too the imagery, and the outcome. Baumann feels it damages humans and ultimately damages God. For a theological work, little is said about sin! The answer is not a greater understanding of God's perspective of humanity, although that is acknowledged, but a change in language and, ultimately, God. The book will introduce many to other feminist writers but its lack of theological integration, and ultimate view of God, makes it of limited value.