Uncovering the Noble Character of Ruth out of Shadows: Applying Character Analysis in the Book of Ruth

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36421/veritas.v20i1.415

Keywords:

Character Analysis, The Purpose of Characterization, The Response of Original Readers, The Noble Character of Ruth, The Book of Ruth

Abstract

This article is an effort to apply the character analysis in the book of Ruth that shows the excellence of Ruth and the response of the original readers. Character analysis was carried out using the method of Richard L. Pratt Jr., which includes the description of characterizations, characterization techniques, and characterization purposes, to investigate the characters of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz as the three main characters in this book. These three characters are analyzed and compared to find the purpose of characterization and the reader’s response. Through this analysis, we can find that the author of the book of Ruth has a purpose to describe indirectly or subtly the noble character of Ruth in the shadows of her background as a Moabites and the other main characters, Naomi and Boaz. Through the reading of the book of Ruth, the first readers can evaluate their spirituality as God’s people because they find that there is a Moabite woman whose life is godlier than them. It also raises awareness that Israel’s God embraces all nations and that non-Israelites do not always negatively influence God’s people.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bal, Mieke. “Heroism and Proper Names, or the Fruits of Analogy.” Dalam A Feminist Companion to Ruth, The Feminist Companion to the Bible 3, diedit oleh Athalya Brenner, 42–69. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 2001.

Bar-Efart, Shimon. Narrative Art in the Bible. Decatur: Almond, 1989.

Bellis, Alice Ogden. Helpmates, Harlots, and Heroes: Women’s Stories in the Hebrew Bible. Ed. ke-2. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2007.

Block, Daniel I. Ruth. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015.

Brenner, Athalya. “Introduction.” Dalam A Feminist Companion to Ruth, The Feminist Companion to the Bible 3, diedit oleh Athalya Brenner, 9–18. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 2001.

Daniel, M. dan R. Carroll. “Once a Stranger, Always a Stranger? Immigration, Assimilation, and the Book of Ruth.” International Bulletin of Missionary Research 39, no. 4 (2015): 185–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/239693931503900405. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/239693931503900405

Decker, Timothy L. “Contrastive Characterization in Ruth 1 : 6 – 22 : Three Ways to Return from Exile.” Old Testament Essays 32, no. 03 (2019): 908–935. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2019/v32n3a8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2019/v32n3a8

Esler, Philip F. “‘All That You Have Done ... Has Been Fully Told to Me’: The Power of Gossip and the Story of Ruth.” Journal of Biblical Literature 137, no. 3 (2018): 646–666. https://doi.org/10.15699/jbl.1373.2018.348544. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jbl.2018.0034

Fewell, Danna Nolan dan David M. Gunn. “‘A Son Is Born to Naomi!’: Literary Allusions and Interpretation in the Book of Ruth.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 40 (1988): 99–108. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/030908928801304006

Fewell, Danna Nolan dan David M. Gunn. “Boaz, Pillar of Society: Measures of Worth in The Book of Ruth.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 45 (1989): 45–59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/030908928901404505

Glover, Neil. “Your People, My People: An Exploration of Ethnicity in Ruth.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 33, no. 3 (2009): 293–313. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309089209102498. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0309089209102498

Havea, Jione. “Stirring Naomi: Another Gleaning at the Edges of Ruth 1.” Dalam Reading Ruth in Asia, diedit oleh Jione dan Peter H.W. Lau Havea, 111–124. Atlanta: SBL, 2015.

Hoffmeier, James K. The Immigration Crisis. Immigrants, Aliens, and the Bible. Wheaton: Crossway, 2009.

Hyman, Ronald T. “Questions and Changing Identity in the Book of Ruth.” Union Seminary Quarterly Review 39, no. 3 (1984): 189–201.

Jones, Edward Allen, III. Reading Ruth in the Restoration Period. A Call for Inclusion. New York: T&T Clark, 2016.

Lau, Peter H.W. Identity and Ethics in the Book of Ruth. A Social Identity Approach. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110247619

Lu, Yong. “Leadership Characters in the Book of Ruth: A Narrative Analysis.” Journal of Corporate Responsibility and Leadership 3, no. 3 (2016): 55–71. http://doi.org/10.12775/JCRL.2016.016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12775/JCRL.2016.016

Nazarov, Konstantin. “Focalization in The Old Testament Narratives with Specific Examples from the Book of Ruth.” Tesis, University of Chester, 2018.

Panganiban, Alicia Besa. “Theology of Resilience amidst Vulnerability in the Book of Ruth.” Feminist Theology 28, no. 2 (2020): 182–197. https://doi.org/10.1177/0966735019886077. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0966735019886077

Pratt, Richard L., Jr. He Gave Us Stories. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1993.

Pratt, Richard L., Jr. Ia Berikan Kita Kisah-Nya. Surabaya: Momentum, 2005.

Pratt, Richard L., Jr., ed. NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible. Zondervan, 2003.

Raskow, Ilona. “Ruth: The Discourse of Power and The Power of Discourse.” Dalam A Feminist Companion to Ruth, The Feminist Companion to the Bible 3, diedit oleh Athalya Brenner, 26–41. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 2001.

Saxegaard, Kristin Moen. Character Complexity in the Book of Ruth. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1628/978-3-16-151145-5

Seibert, Eric A. Subversive Scribes and The Solomonic Narrative. A Rereading of 1 Kings 1-11. New York: T&T Clark, 2006.

Published

28-06-2021

How to Cite

Sia, Kok-Sin. “Uncovering the Noble Character of Ruth Out of Shadows: Applying Character Analysis in the Book of Ruth”. Veritas: Jurnal Teologi dan Pelayanan 20, no. 1 (June 28, 2021): 51–70. Accessed December 2, 2024. https://ojs.seabs.ac.id/index.php/Veritas/article/view/415.

Issue

Section

Articles