Giving God the cold shoulder? Naomi’s theological perspective in the book of Ruth

Scholarship has tended to prioritize Ruth and Boaz’s faithfulness to family, community, and God as the primary theological message of the book of Ruth. This study focuses on Naomi’s perspective as the central voice in the narrative instead. The book of Ruth begins and ends from Naomi’s perspective;...

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Bibliographic Details
Subtitles:From a Certain Point of View: Reading Texts in Contexts
Main Author: Strollo, Megan Fullerton (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Review and expositor
Year: 2025, Volume: 122, Issue: 1/2, Pages: 17-28
Further subjects:B Ruth
B Naomi
B Human Agency
B Divine
B Biblical Theology
B Skepticism
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Scholarship has tended to prioritize Ruth and Boaz’s faithfulness to family, community, and God as the primary theological message of the book of Ruth. This study focuses on Naomi’s perspective as the central voice in the narrative instead. The book of Ruth begins and ends from Naomi’s perspective; she speaks in the narrative more than any other character, and most importantly, she speaks of God the most. If the narrative is centered around Naomi’s point of view, her perception of God is also most central. Naomi’s theological perspective challenges the received Deuteronomic tradition. In giving God the cold shoulder, Naomi reflects skepticism about God’s presence in difficult periods of life.
ISSN:2052-9449
Contains:Enthalten in: Review and expositor
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/00346373251367304