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Mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah

A Metaphor for Zion Theology

by Maggie Low (Author)
©2014 Monographs XIV, 222 Pages
Series: Studies in Biblical Literature, Volume 155

Summary

Mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah: A Metaphor for Zion Theology offers the unique perspective that personified mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah is not just a metaphor used for a rhetorical purpose but a cognitive metaphor representing Zion theology, a central theme in the Book of Isaiah. The author deftly combines the methods of metaphor theory and intertextuality to explain the vital but often overlooked conundrum that Zion in Deutero-Isaiah is an innocent mother, unlike the adulterous wife in other prophetic books. This interpretation offers a vital corrective to the view of women in the biblical context. As a result of this usage, Deutero-Isaiah paradoxically presents Yahweh the Creator as the one who gives birth to the people, not mother Zion. This understanding explains the concentration of gynomorphic imagery used for God in this prophetic book, providing a counterbalance to patriarchal perspectives of God. Finally, a fresh insight is offered into the ongoing debate between universalism and nationalism in Deutero-Isaiah, based on the premise that as a symbol of Zion theology, mother Zion represents Yahweh’s universal sovereignty rather than a nationalistic ethnicity. Mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah is an invaluable resource in courses that deal with issues in Isaiah, biblical interpretation, and feminist hermeneutics, especially regarding the feminine personification of Zion and the maternal imagery of God.

Details

Pages
XIV, 222
Publication Year
2014
ISBN (PDF)
9781453911686
ISBN (Hardcover)
9781433121579
DOI
10.3726/978-1-4539-1168-6
Language
English
Publication date
2013 (November)
Keywords
intertextuality women God
Published
New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, Oxford, Wien, 2013. 222 pp.

Biographical notes

Maggie Low (Author)

Maggie Low received her PhD in Old Testament from Union-PSCE in Richmond, Virginia. She is an Old Testament lecturer at Trinity Theological College, Singapore, and an ordained minister of The Presbyterian Church in Singapore.

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Title: Mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah