Renita J. Weems, Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets
Questions on the Introduction and Chapter One
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1.
 What is the goal of Dr. Weems' book? (See page 2.)




2.
 What is metaphor?





2.1
 Why do author's use metaphors? What is their rhetorical function? (See page 15.)





2.2
 List the five human relationships used as metaphors in the Hebrew prophets. (See page 16.)





2.3
 Discuss these relationships as relationships of "power and punishment." What may this have to do with why the prophets chose to use these particular relationships as metaphors for God's relationship to Israel?




3.
 Why does Renita Weems see the marriage metaphor as a controlling metaphor? (See pp. 25—30.)




4.
 What aspects of Israel’s history are “explained” by the marriage metaphor? (See p. 26.) Comment on each of the five listed below.





4.1
 Earliest history = courtship

4.2
 Covenant = marriage

4.3
 Idolatry = adultery

4.4
 Exile = divorce

4.4
 Restoration to the land = reconciliation




5.
 Discuss the role of disgrace/shame in the marriage metaphor. Why would this make the marriage metaphor more effective than the others listed above for dealing with the broad range of Israel’s violations of its relationship with God?