'Only Ruins Remain'. Psalm 74 as a case of Mundus Inversus
The world pictured in the psalms of lamentation is one of hostility, pain, sorrow and disorientation. As the voices of those under attack from enemy forces, these prayers seek to redress a distressed and fear-stricken situation. They beseech Yahweh to intervene and save the righteous from the evildo...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2007
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| In: |
Old Testament essays
Year: 2007, Volume: 20, Issue: 1, Pages: 128-137 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The world pictured in the psalms of lamentation is one of hostility, pain, sorrow and disorientation. As the voices of those under attack from enemy forces, these prayers seek to redress a distressed and fear-stricken situation. They beseech Yahweh to intervene and save the righteous from the evildoers. At times, they are also expressive of the cognitive dissonance as experienced by the afflicted. Psalm 74 can be considered a case in point. In this communal lament, the supplicants try to fathom the inexplicable behaviour of Yahweh. They are rejected by the deity and humiliated by the enemy. Moreover, their secured and structured order has been turned upside-down. Given that the current situation is seen as a violation of the ideational-symbolic structure, this paper endeavours to illustrate that in Psalm 74 reality is described as 'mundus inversus'. |
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| ISSN: | 2312-3621 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Old Testament essays
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| Persistent identifiers: | HDL: 10520/EJC85856 |