Finding God in the Margins: The Book of Ruth by Carolyn Custis James. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018. 116 pages.
I first heard Carolyn Custis James speak about the book of Ruth on a podcast (Seminary Dropout) and I immediately wanted to know more. More about Ruth. More about the cultural backdrop. More about what Custis James has learned in her many years of studying the text. This highly readable book did all of those things. It is meant to be used for personal or group study and includes reflection questions at the end of each chapter.
Custis James has done her homework; she provides important cultural and historical information, points out easily overlooked connections and contrasts, and makes an effort to relate the story to our contemporary context. The book has many good qualities. It is accessible as well as spiritually profound and informative without being overly academic or pedantic. She invites the reader to fill in the gaps of the story in an imaginative way, pulling us into the drama.
The only part I thought didn't quite work was the link she made between the Boston bombing and the book of Ruth. I realize it was an attempt to contemporize the story for readers, but I did not get the connection, and it seemed forced, perhaps a bit of an attention-getting ploy, instead of a natural lead-in. Contemporary examples of famine refugees and others treated as "zeros" in society would have been more helpful.
Once the book hits the ground, though, it doesn't really miss a step. Each chapter is packed with insight and information which reveal layer after layer of meaning in the story. It is obvious that the author has spent years pondering and researching the material.
Two of the most noteworthy points for me include her debunking of contemporary interpretations which read like a Disney love story and her comparison of Naomi to Job, both of whom experience devastation and question the constancy of YHWH.
Custis James' four keys to understanding ancient biblical stories (found in the Introduction) should be standard fare for any Bible study: 1) God is always the hero of the story, 2) The smaller story is framed within God's greater story, 3) The Bible is not an American or Western book, and 4) The Bible is a literary work of art.
Custis James dives deep into each character, even Orpah and the first relative, dignifying them and their role in the story. She traces the character arc of each of the three main characters (Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz) with care and attention to detail. The author does not shy away from dealing with the pervasiveness of patriarchy in the story, yet does not come down too heavy-handed either.
There are a few surprises in this book for even the most seasoned readers of the Bible. Custis James succeeds in making the story come alive, identifying the common thread of hesed which is woven throughout. I appreciated Custis James's question: "Why is the book of Ruth often regarded as a good study for women but not also for men?" (p. 94)
One of the most important things Custis James accomplishes in this slim volume is to get the reader to consider the story of Ruth from the perspective of the marginalized and, in doing so, to consider life from the margins. She writes: “Ruth lives on the hungry side of the law, and the law looks very different from that point of view. Her proposal presses Boaz beyond the letter of the law to fulfill its spirit. The letter of the law says, ‘Let them glean.’ The spirit of the law says, ‘Feed them.’” (p. 57)
-----------------------------
Disclosure: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Comments