Where is God in the Megilloth? : : a dialogue on the ambiguity of divine presence and absence / / by Brittany N. Melton.

• Superior document: Oudtestamentische Studiën ; Volume 73
• VerfasserIn: Melton, Brittany N.,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, [2018]; ©2018
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Language: English
• Series: Oudtestamentische studiën ; Volume 73.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (235 pages).
• Other title: Front Matter --; Copyright page /; Acknowledgements /; Abbreviations /; Introduction: Where is God in the Megilloth? /; The Controversy of Divine Presence and Absence /; Five Books in Dialogue on Divine Presence and Absence /; Perceiving Divine Absence /; Perceiving Divine Presence /; Perceiving Divine Providence /; Perceiving Divine Silence: A Dialogue among the Megilloth /; Conclusion: The Ambiguity of Divine Presence and Absence in the Megilloth /; Back Matter --; Bibliography /
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• ISBN: 9004368957
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: by Brittany N. Melton.

In Where is God in the Megilloth? Brittany N. Melton constructs a dialogue among Ruth, Esther, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs centred on this question, in an effort to settle the debate about whether God is present or absent in these books. Their juxtaposition in the Hebrew Bible highlights their shared theme of apparent divine absence, but, paradoxically, traces of God’s presence are unearthed as well. By examining various aspects of this theme, including the literary absence of God, divine abandonment, God-talk, allusive language, God’s providence, and divine silence, it becomes clear that the ambiguity of divine presence and absence in the Megilloth presents a significant challenge to current conceptualizations of divine presence and absence in the Hebrew Bible.