Reflections on the Scholarly Imaginations of Good and Evil in the Book of Esther
In: Biblical InterpretationSearch for other papers by Lydia Lee in
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Abstract
The present article seeks to describe, analyze, and evaluate the modern scholarly attempts to grapple with the moral issues about good and evil in the Hebrew Esther story. The first part of the article examines the anti-Semitic sentiments looming behind the pre-World War II European, especially the Protestant, commentators’ ethics assessments of the book of Esther and its Jewish characters, before pointing out a blind spot in these assessments. The second part of the article offers a systematic analysis of the gradual change of attitude induced mainly by the Jewish scholars in the aftermath of the Second World War. Lastly, the paper turns the spotlight on the Esther studies conducted by recent feminist and other marginalized biblical scholars. Attempts are made to demonstrate how their works, coming from different social contexts, enrich the academic discussions about good and evil in the book of Esther.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
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| Abstract Views | 1182 | 134 | 15 |
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Reflections on the Scholarly Imaginations of Good and Evil in the Book of Esther
In: Biblical InterpretationSearch for other papers by Lydia Lee in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
The present article seeks to describe, analyze, and evaluate the modern scholarly attempts to grapple with the moral issues about good and evil in the Hebrew Esther story. The first part of the article examines the anti-Semitic sentiments looming behind the pre-World War II European, especially the Protestant, commentators’ ethics assessments of the book of Esther and its Jewish characters, before pointing out a blind spot in these assessments. The second part of the article offers a systematic analysis of the gradual change of attitude induced mainly by the Jewish scholars in the aftermath of the Second World War. Lastly, the paper turns the spotlight on the Esther studies conducted by recent feminist and other marginalized biblical scholars. Attempts are made to demonstrate how their works, coming from different social contexts, enrich the academic discussions about good and evil in the book of Esther.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1182 | 134 | 15 |
| Full Text Views | 565 | 11 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 731 | 27 | 0 |
