Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.