'Perhaps there is hope'
Subtitle: reading Lamentations as a polyphony of pain, penitence, and protest
By: Miriam J. Bier
Series: The library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies -- 603; T & T Clark library of biblical studies; Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies -- 603.; T & T Clark library of biblical studies
Publisher: Bloomsbury T & T Clark
Published: 2015
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 249
ISBN-13: 9780567658388; 9780567658371
Subjects: Criticism, interpretation; Bible
Description: Bier proposes here a strong new understanding of the Book of Lamentations, drawing on Bakhtinian ideas of multiple voices to analyse the poetic speaking voices within the text; examining their theological perspectives, and nuancing the interaction between them. Bier scrutinises interpretations of Lamentations, distinguishing between exegesis that reads Lamentations as a theodicy, in defense of God, and those that read it as an anti-theodicy, in defense of Zion. Rather than reductively adopting either of these approaches, this book advocates a dialogic approach to Lamentations, reading to hear the full polyphony of pain, penitence, and protest.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 221-231) and index.