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Ruth Playing with Redemption

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The Book of Ruth stands apart in biblical literature as a masterwork of dramatic staging, with dialogue dominating 55 of its 85 verses—the highest ratio of direct speech in any biblical text. When analyzed through Aristotelian poetics, particularly the concept of "recognition scenes," the text reveals itself not merely as narrative but as a carefully crafted theatrical script. Key recognition scenes between characters—Naomi and her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Boaz, and the community chorus—function as pivotal moments that advance the plot and create space for divine intervention. The Hebrew verbal roots *shuv* (to return) and *ga'al* (to redeem) appear with striking frequency, weaving together themes of speech, recognition, and redemption through close dialogue patterns. These recognition scenes serve as catalysts for both human and divine action, with God's providence manifesting through moments of human acknowledgment. Through this dramatic structure, personal relationships transform into vehicles for theological insight and national redemption, suggesting that sanctity emerges through the very process of recognition itself. This theatrical reading opens new interpretive possibilities for understanding both the literary sophistication and theological depth of Ruth's ancient text.

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    Published 2014

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