Why Not Her?: A Form and Literary-Critical Interpretation of the Named and Unnamed Women in the Elijah and Elisha Narratives(164 Studies in Biblical Literature)

In this book, Hye Kyung Park examines the functions and roles of the women who appear in the Elijah and Elisha narratives. The named and unnamed female characters in the Elijah and Elisha cycles frequently drive the plot of these narratives, giving a voice to important theological, historical, and social concerns that are otherwise overlooked. Consequently, this book elaborates upon the critical meaning of women's voices through a close interpretation of the roles and functions attributed to women in 1 Kings 17:8-24; 2 Kings 4:8-37, 5, and 8:1-6. These female figures and presences include the Zarephath woman in 1 Kings 17:8-24, twenty-nine third-person feminine verbs to emphasize the Shunammite woman's frequent appearances in 2 Kings 4:8-37, the Israelite girl as a prophetess in 2 Kings 5, and the Shunammite woman's return in 2 Kings 8:1-6. Even though the various women in 1 Kings and 2 Kings have not been named throughout the biblical traditions, their presence and actions were crucial for advancing the prophetic narratives concerning Elijah and Elisha. Indeed, the women are crucial to the Elijah and Elisha narratives, both in terms of advancing the plot of the narratives and defining the roles of the prophets presented within.

About the Author :
Hye Kyung Park received her PhD in religion from Claremont Graduate University in California. She is Assistant Professor in the Department of Theology at Chang Jung Christian University in Taiwan. Some of her previous publications include: «Violence and Resistance: A Hermeneutical Dialogue between 'A Shoot' in Isaiah 11 and 'The Sun-moon' in Asian Narratives for Justice», «The Tekoite Wise Woman and Her Prophecy: A Reading of 2 Samuel 14:2 - 20 for Korean Feminist Reunification Theology», and «The Confluence of the Israelite Girl in 2 Kings 5 and Baridegi in a Korean Myth: Toward Hanpuri Hermeneutics for Korean Women» in Madang; «Jamehn Paljang-ee Yoesung Jeehea-wa Ahn Byung Moon-we Sunchungdaek-ee Daehan Haesukhakjek Daehwa (The Hermeneutical Interpretation of the Wise Lady in Proverbs 8 and Sunchundaek by Ahn Byung Moo)», in Shin Hak Sah Sang; and «Sharing Food and Confirming Faith: A Shift in the Meaning of the Eucharist from the Traditional Protestant Perspective to the Modern» in The Foreign Language Journal of Korean Association of Christian Studies.

Review :
«This is a fine example of restorative hermeneutics. Hye Kyung Park has done an excellent job in bringing to the fore the named and unnamed women who are entangled in the Elijah and Elisha narratives. Hitherto marginalized, overlooked, and suppressed characters like Jezebel, the nameless woman from Zarephath, the anonymous Shunammite woman, and the unidentified Israelite girl not only come alive in Park's painstaking and meticulous re-reading, but are also shown as pivotal figures who energize the plot and offer critical voices that shape and redefine theological, social, and cultural concerns of the narrative. Written in an easy-to-read style, this book will have appeal beyond biblical studies and will be attractive to those who are interested in feminist studies and critical methods. I warmly recommend this book.» (R. S. Sugirtharajah, Emeritus Professor of Biblical Hermeneutics, University of Birmingham) «Hye Kyung Park's study on the named and unnamed women in the Elijah and Elisha narratives of the Hebrew bible is a landmark study that demonstrates the crucial role played by women in these texts. Although women are frequently rendered silent and invisible by past scholarship on these narratives, Park's analysis demonstrates that the women characters play a crucial role in driving the plot and defining the prophetic roles and functions of the male prophets in these texts. In doing so, she gives voice to the previously hidden women in these narratives. Her study serves as a model for the treatment of women characters in the biblical narratives, as well as the roles of women in the contemporary contexts of the Church and modern society.» (Marvin A. Sweeney, Claremont School of Theology and the Academy for Jewish Religion, California) «Hye Kyung Park's book clearly builds on literary-historical research by German and American scholars on the women associated with Elijah and Elisha. Park correctly identifies the problem of misogyny in the editions of the DtrH and in later scholars' research by examining the significance of the named and unnamed women in 1 and 2 Kings. Her book is an insightful and methodologically grounded monograph, which makes readers aware of the voices of the women whose identity has been overlooked in biblical and theological scholarship. I heartily recommend Park's book as a means to appreciate the roles and importance of the women characters in the study of Elijah and Elisha narratives.» (Kyung Sook Lee, Emerita Professor of the Old Testament, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea)