‘Perhaps There is Hope’: Reading Lamentations as a Polyphony of Pain, Penitence, and Protest

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. Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction 1. Introduction 2. Introduction to Lamentations a. Historical Situation, Author, and Audience b. Poetics c. Genre d. Theology in Lamentations 3. Theodic and Antitheodic Readings of Lamentations a. Reading Lamentations with Theodicy: Suffering Is the Measure of Sin b. Reading Lamentations with Antitheodicy: Suffering Is Not the Measure of Sin c. Responding to the Rise of Antitheodic Readings d. Theodicy or Antitheodicy? 4. The Dialogism of the Idea and the Polyphonic Text a. A Dialogic Sense of Truth b. A Change in Position of the “Author” c. A Change in the Position of the Characters 5. Point of View in the Polyphonic Text 6. Conclusions Chapter 2: Reading Lamentations 1 as a Polyphony 1. Introduction to Lamentations 1: The Lamenter and Zion 2. Lamentations 1: Analysis a. Lamentations 1:1–9b b. Lamentations 1:9c c. Lamentations 1:10–11b d. Lamentations 1:11c e. Lamentations 1:12–16 f. Lamentations 1:17 g. Lamentations 1:18–19 h. Lamentations 1:20–22 3. Overall Point of View: Lamentations 1 a. The Lamenter and the Prevailing Point of View b. Zion and the Prevailing Point of View c. Theodicy Prevails: Suffering is the Measure of Sin d. Antitheodicy Prevails: Suffering is Not the Measure of Sin 4. Summary and Conclusions: Lamentations 1 5. Postscript: The Disappearing Poet Chapter 3: Reading Lamentations 2 as a Polyphony 1. Introduction to Lamentations 2: The Lamenter and Zion Aligned 2. Analysis of Lamentations 2 a. Lamentations 2:1–10 b. Lamentations 2:11–12 c. Lamentations 2:13–17 d. Lamentations 2:18–19 e. Lamentations 2:20–22 3. Overall Point of View: Lamentations 2 a. The Lamenter and Zion b. Reading Lamentations 2 for Theodicy: Suffering is the Measure of Sin c. Reading as Antitheodicy: Suffering is Not the Measure of the Sin 4. Summary and Conclusions: Lamentations 2 5. Postscript: The Deceptive Lamenter and the Disappearing Woman Chapter 4: Reading Lamentations 3 as a Polyphony 1. Introduction to Lamentations 3: The רבג and Authoritative Discourse 2. Analysis of Lamentations 3 a. Lamentations 3:1–20 b. Lamentations 3:21–24 c. Lamentations 3:25–39 d. Lamentations 3:40–41 e. Lamentations 3:42–47 f. Lamentations 3:48–54 g. Lamentations 3:55–66 3. Overall Point of View: Lamentations 3 a. Reading Lamentations 3 for Theodicy: The Centrality of Faith and Penitence b. Reading Lamentations 3 for Antitheodicy: Suffering Is Not the Measure of Sin c. Reading Lamentations 3 Polyphonically: Multiple Centres d. Reading Lamentations 3 Dialogically: Internally Persuasive and Authoritative Discourse 4. Summary and Conclusions: Lamentations 3 Chapter 5: Reading Lamentations 4 as a Polyphony 1. Introduction to Lamentations 4: The Lamenter and ימע־תב 2. Analysis of Lamentations 4 a. Lamentations 4:1–10 b. Lamentations 4:11–16 c. Lamentations 4:17–20 d. Lamentations 4:21–22 3. Overall Point of View: Lamentations 4 4. Summary and Conclusions: Lamentations 4 Chapter 6: Reading Lamentations 5 as a Polyphony 1. Introduction to Lamentations 5: The Communal Voice 2. Analysis of Lamentations 5 a. Lamentations 5:1–10 b. Lamentations 5:11–14 c. Lamentations 5:15–18 d. Lamentations 5:19–22 3. Overall Point of View: Lamentations 5 4. Summary and Conclusions: Lamentations 5 Chapter 7: Reading Lamentations as a Polyphony 1. Introduction 2. Looking for a Monologic Message in Lamentations a. Looking to Individual Voices for a Monologic Message (i) The Voice of YHWH Provides the Prevailing Perspective of the Text (ii) The Voice of Prophet or Priest Provides the Prevailing Perspective of the Text (iii) An Omniscient Narrator Provides the Prevailing Perspective of the Text (iv) The Lamenter Provides the Prevailing Perspective of the Text (v) The רבג Provides the Prevailing Perspective of the Text (vi) Zion Provides the Prevailing Perspective of the Text b. Looking to Communal Voices for a Monologic Message (i) Looking to Authoritative Discourse for a Monologic Message (ii) Looking to the Communal Voice for a Monologic Message c. Looking to Form for a Monologic Message (i) The Centre (ii) The End d. Looking to the Canon for a Monologic Message 3. Reading Lamentations as a Polyphony 4. What Is Invested? Theodicy and Antitheodicy as Apologetic for the Text 5. Conclusions: The Hermeneutical Implications of Polyphony Chapter 8: Conclusions Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors