Silent or Salient Gender?: The Interpretation of Gendered God-Language in the Hebrew Bible, Exemplified in Isaiah 42, 46, and 49 in Bloomington, MN

Hanne Loland studies gendered god-language of the Hebrew Bible. Her point of departure is the broader theological and scholarly debate on God, language, and gender. One of the main questions she discusses is whether and how gende r is salient - that is, of significance - when gendered god-language occurs in a text. This is a new line of questioning in Hebrew Bible research. The question of gender significance is raised both in a longer methodological part and in three case studies from Isaiah 40-55. The author argues that there is in principle no difference between god-language formulated in similes or metaphors. Further, there is no significant difference between male and female god-language in the Hebrew Bible. These findings are also relevant for the contemporary debate concerning god-language in academia, church, and synagogue. This volume was recognized with the John Templeton Award for Theological Promise in 2008.