Victor H. Matthews, Missouri State University
Social and Ethnic Transformation in the Story of Ruth and Boaz

Abstract:

Of particular interest in a social reading of the story of Ruth is the emphasis placed on membership in the community. Typically, a personal sense of identity in the village culture of ancient Israel is defined for each individual by his or her membership in a family, a clan, or a tribe and by age and gender. This recognition of membership within a specific group is further qualified by the location of the person’s home, village, or town; the geographical region within Israelite territory; and the geo-political relations with both the kinship group’s neighbors, as well as other tribes and nearby states. In the normal course of events, it would have been inconceivable for any person in this ancient society even to consider making a conscious decision on what his or her identity should be. Yet the story of Ruth and Boaz hinges on the question of ethnic identity and includes, using various legal means, a transformation process that ultimately establishes how Ruth is accepted into the Israelite community of Bethlehem.