Does the Hebrew Bible construct a social trauma?: Three case studies
With the rise of a trend to reread biblical texts through the lens of trauma, some scholars have begun to apply Jeffrey Alexander’s definition of social trauma to reading biblical texts in the Hebrew Bible, such as Jeremiah and Lamentations. This reading assumes that the Hebrew Bible constructs a so...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
Journal for the study of the Old Testament
Year: 2023, Volume: 48, Issue: 2, Pages: 243-261 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Alexander, Jeffrey C. 1947-
/ Individual lamentation
/ Jeremiah
/ Trauma (Motif)
/ Lament
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Social trauma
B Jeremiah B Psalms of Lament B Lamentations B Jeffrey Alexander |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | With the rise of a trend to reread biblical texts through the lens of trauma, some scholars have begun to apply Jeffrey Alexander’s definition of social trauma to reading biblical texts in the Hebrew Bible, such as Jeremiah and Lamentations. This reading assumes that the Hebrew Bible constructs a social trauma to shape ancient Israelites’ national identity. However, this article points out that Alexander’s theory does not fit well with the narratives of the Hebrew Bible. The main argument consists of three case studies concerning the book of Jeremiah, Lamentations, and communal psalms of lament; the author argues that none of these writings answers the four questions crucial for the construction of a socially mediated trauma in Alexander’s theory. |
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| ISSN: | 1476-6728 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of the Old Testament
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/03090892231185168 |