DOCSLIB.ORG

Infertility in 1 Samuel 1: Toward a Hermeneutic of Reproduction

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Infertility in 1 Samuel 1: Toward a Hermeneutic of Reproduction Southern Methodist University SMU Scholar Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations Religious Studies Spring 5-18-2019 Infertility in 1 Samuel 1: Toward a Hermeneutic of Reproduction David A. Schones Southern Methodist University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.smu.edu/religious_studies_etds Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Schones, David A., "Infertility in 1 Samuel 1: Toward a Hermeneutic of Reproduction" (2019). Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations. 14. https://scholar.smu.edu/religious_studies_etds/14 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Religious Studies at SMU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SMU Scholar. For more information, please visit http://digitalrepository.smu.edu. INFERTILITY IN 1 SAMUEL 1: TOWARD A HERMENEUTIC OF REPRODUCTION Approved by: _______________________________________ Prof. Susanne Scholz Professor of Old Testament ___________________________________ Prof. Roy L. Heller Professor of Old Testament ___________________________________ Prof. Harold J. Recinos Professor of Church and Society ___________________________________ Prof. Timothy Sandoval Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible INFERTILITY IN 1 SAMUEL 1: TOWARD A HERMENEUTIC OF REPRODUCTION A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate Faculty of Dedman College Southern Methodist University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Religious Studies by David A. Schones B.A., University of Oklahoma; M.T.S., Brite Divinity School May 18, 2019 Copyright (2019) David A. Schones All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many colleagues who have helped me reach this point in my research. I am sure that I will not be able to thank them all. Still, I would like to recognize some who have offered their support, advice, and expertise on this project. I especially want to thank my advisor and dissertation committee chair, Susanne Scholz. Your tireless effort and willingness to work with me has profoundly shaped my research, my academic career, and my life. You challenged me to become a better scholar, you made me focus on the important aspects of my research, and you have helped me turn an idea into a hermeneutic of reproduction. It has been a great honor to have the opportunity to collaborate with you. I appreciate everything you have done. I would also like to thank members of my dissertation committee, Roy L. Heller, Harold J. Recinos, and Timothy Sandoval. You have all given me excellent advice, read early drafts of my chapters, and offered feedback on my research. I cannot thank all of you enough for helping shape this project. Additionally, I want to thank Meghan Henning and Chris de Wet, chairs of the Healthcare and Disability in the Ancient World program unit of the Society of Biblical Literature. The opportunity to give two presentations on my dissertation proposal and Chapter 5 has been very helpful during this process. I appreciate the feedback on my proposal offered by Laurel W. Koepf-Taylor. You gave me excellent advice during the early part of this project. I want to thank my colleagues in the graduate program of religious studies at Southern Methodist University. You have all offered wonderful feedback on my work both inside and outside the classroom. I also want to thank John R. Levison and Serge Frolov for their roles in helping me iv reach this point in my career. Additionally, I want to thank the Dedman College Graduate Student Assembly at Southern Methodist University that provided a research grant for this dissertation. Finally, I could not have gotten to this point without the support and help of my wife, Courtney. You have given me the chance to pursue this opportunity. Thank you for listening to my constant discussion on biblical infertility, keeping me motivated as I worked, and helping me deal with the stress of this project. I also wish to thank my two children, Hannah and Joseph. You have kept me grounded, reminded me to take breaks, and helped me enjoy every day. Finally, I want to thank my extended family. You have all helped Courtney and me with our children during the past few years. You have been a wonderful support system that has helped make this dissertation possible. Thank you so much. v Schones, David A. B.A., University of Oklahoma; M.T.S., Brite Divinity School Infertility in 1 Samuel 1: Toward a Hermeneutic of Reproduction Advisor: Professor Susanne Scholz Doctor of Philosophy conferred May 18, 2019 Dissertation completed May 2, 2019 This dissertation explores the need for an interpretation of 1 Samuel 1 that is grounded in social-scientific scholarship on infertility. The study analyzes biblical interpretations on 1 Samuel 1 in the five decades that feminist-disability scholarship on infertility has emerged in the social sciences. Accordingly, the exegetical readings analyzed in this study were produced in the same time frame during which feminist-disability scholarship began to be articulated in earnest. The study demonstrates the necessity for interpreting 1 Samuel 1 with social-scientific research on infertility in mind. If such scholarship is not taken into account, biblical readings remain stuck in outdated terminology and uninformed assumptions about Hannah’s involuntary childlessness. Social-scientific scholarship has produced four models on infertility that need to inform the interpretation of 1 Samuel 1. The models are the social constructionist, misfit, enacted, and felt models. Employing the four models, the study shows that Hannah’s infertility is stigmatized on familial and personal levels. It also demonstrates that involuntary childlessness must be understood within its cultural-literary context. The study challenges the economic and religious explanations for Hannah’s infertility and counters biblical interpretations that view her involuntary childlessness as caused by economic distress, misfortune, or God. Most importantly, the application of the four models develops a reading centered on Hannah as an infertile woman. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Infertility and 1 Samuel 1: An Introduction ........................................................................ 1 1.1 Five Reasons for a Hermeneutic of Reproduction: The Present State of the Problem ....... 4 1.2 From Barrenness to Infertility: Biblical and Social-Scientific Terms for Childlessness .... 8 1.2.1 Barrenness: A Critique of the Biblical Term ............................................................. 8 1.2.2 Infertility, Involuntary Childlessness, and Child-Free: Social-Scientific Terms ..... 11 1.2.3 Infertility and Involuntary Childlessness: Issues of Terminology ........................... 13 1.3 The Ideological-Critical Evaluation of Infertility: Issues of Method ............................... 13 1.4 Social-Scientific Models for the Study of Infertility: A Brief Overview ......................... 16 1.5 Towards a Hermeneutic of Reproduction: Chapter Outlines ............................................ 18 2 Historical-Critical and Literary Interpretations of “Barrenness” in 1 Samuel 1 ........... 22 2.1 Historical-Critical Interpretations Based on the Economic Category ............................... 24 2.1.1 Infertility as a Problem to the Patrilineal System: The Interpretation of Peter R. Ackroyd ................................................................................................................... 24 2.1.2 Infertility as a Symbol for Israel’s Suffering: The Interpretation of James D. Newsome ................................................................................................................. 27 2.1.3 Infertility and Economic Exploitation in India: The Interpretation of Gnana Robinson .................................................................................................................. 29 2.2 Historical-Critical Interpretations Based on the Religious Category ............................... 31 2.2.1 God’s Power over Infertility: The Interpretation of P. Kyle McCarter ................... 32 2.2.2 Infertility and the Broken Covenant: The Interpretation of Walter Brueggemann .. 34 2.2.3 Critique of the Judges Cycle: The Interpretation of Feidhlimidh T. Magennis ....... 36 2.3 Literary Interpretations Based on the Economic Category ............................................... 38 vii 2.3.1 The Psychological Profiles of Hannah’s Family: The Interpretation of J. P. Fokkelman ............................................................................................................... 39 2.3.2 An Anthropological Analysis of Infertility: The Interpretation of Philip Esler....... 41 2.3.3 Infertility and the Annunciation Type-Scene: The Interpretation of Robert Alter .. 43 2.4 Literary Interpretations Based on the Religious Category ................................................ 45 2.4.1 Deconstructing Retributive Theology: The Interpretation of Peter D. Miscall ....... 46 2.4.2 Infertility and the Artistry of the Deuteronomist: The Interpretation of Robert Polzin ....................................................................................................................... 47 2.4.3 Infertility and Character Development: The Interpretation of John Petersen .......... 50 2.5 Beyond the Biblical Rhetoric of “Barrenness” in 1 Samuel 1: A Conclusion .................. 52 3 Disability and Feminist Interpretations of Infertility in 1 Samuel 1 ...............................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Biographical Study of Samuel
    Scholars Crossing Old Testament Biographies A Biographical Study of Individuals of the Bible 10-2018 A Biographical Study of Samuel Harold Willmington Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ot_biographies Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Willmington, Harold, "A Biographical Study of Samuel" (2018). Old Testament Biographies. 25. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ot_biographies/25 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the A Biographical Study of Individuals of the Bible at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in Old Testament Biographies by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Samuel CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY I. The pre-ministry of Samuel—A boy in the tabernacle A. Hannah was his mother. 1. Her prayer for her son a. Samuel was born as a result of God’s answering Hannah’s prayer and touching her barren womb (1 Sam. 1:2, 19, 20). b. He was promised to the Lord even before his birth (1 Sam. 1:10-12). c. He became the second of two famous Old Testament Nazarites. Samson was the first (Judg. 13:7, 13-14; 1 Sam. 1:11). 2. Her presentation of her son—After he was weaned, Hannah dedicated him in the tabernacle (1Sam. 1:23-28). B. Eli was his mentor. 1. He then was raised for God’s service by the old priest Eli in the tabernacle (1 Sam. 2:11, 18, 21).
    [Show full text]
  • Rosh Hashanah Ubhct Ubfkn
    vbav atrk vkp, Rosh HaShanah ubhct ubfkn /UbkIe g©n§J 'UbFk©n Ubhc¨t Avinu Malkeinu, hear our voice. /W¤Ng k¥t¨r§G°h i¤r¤eo¥r¨v 'UbFk©n Ubhc¨t Avinu Malkeinu, give strength to your people Israel. /ohcIy ohH° jr© px¥CUb c,§ F 'UbFknUbh© ct¨ Avinu Malkeinu, inscribe us for blessing in the Book of Life. /vcIy v²b¨J Ubhkg J¥S©j 'UbFk©n Ubhc¨t Avinu Malkeinu, let the new year be a good year for us. 1 In the seventh month, hghc§J©v J¤s«jC on the first day of the month, J¤s«jk s¨j¤tC there shall be a sacred assembly, iIº,C©J ofk v®h§v°h a cessation from work, vgUr§T iIrf°z a day of commemoration /J¤s«et¨r§e¦n proclaimed by the sound v¨s«cg ,ftk§nkF of the Shofar. /U·Gg©, tO Lev. 23:24-25 Ub¨J§S¦e r¤J£t 'ok«ug¨v Qk¤n Ubh¥vO¡t '²h±h v¨T©t QUrC /c«uy o«uh (lWez¨AW) k¤J r¯b ehk§s©vk Ub²um±uuh¨,«um¦nC Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel (Shabbat v’shel) Yom Tov. We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, who hallows us with mitzvot and commands us to kindle the lights of (Shabbat and) Yom Tov. 'ok«ug¨v Qk¤n Ubh¥vO¡t '²h±h v¨T©t QUrC /v®Z©v i©n±Zk Ubgh°D¦v±u Ub¨n±H¦e±u Ub²h¡j¤v¤J Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higiyanu, lazman hazeh.
    [Show full text]
  • Daniel Abraham David Elijah Esther Hannah John Moses
    BIBLE CHARACTER FLASH CARDS Print these cards front and back, so when you cut them out, the description of each person is printed on the back of the card. ABRAHAM DANIEL DAVID ELIJAH ESTHER HANNAH JOHN MOSES NOAH DAVID DANIEL ABRAHAM 1 Samuel 16-30, The book of Daniel Genesis 11-25 2 Samuel 1-24 • Very brave and stood up for His God Believed God’s • A person of prayer (prayed 3 • • A man after God’s heart times/day from his youth) promises • A great leader Called himself what • Had God’s protection • • A protector • Had God’s wisdom (10 times God called him • Worshiper more than anyone) • Rescued his entire • Was a great leader to his nation from evil friends HANNAH ESTHER ELIJAH 1 Samuel 1-2 Book of Esther 1 Kings 17-21, 2 Kings 1-3 • Prayers were answered • God put her before • Heard God’s voice • Kept her promises to kings • Defeated enemies of God • Saved her people God • Had a family who was • Great courage • Miracle worker used powerfully by God NOAH MOSES JOHN Genesis 6-9 Exodus 2-40 Gospels • Had favor with God • Rescued his entire • Knew how much Jesus • Trusted God country loved him. • Obeyed God • God sent him to talk to • Was faithful to Jesus • Wasn’t afraid of what the king when no one else was people thought about • Was a caring leader of • Had very powerful him his people encounters with God • Rescued the world SARAH GIDEON PETER JOSHUA NEHEMIAH MARY PETER GIDEON SARAH Gospels judges 6-7 Gensis 11-25 • Did impossible things • Saved his city • Knew God was faithful with Jesus • Destroyed idols to His promises • Raised dead people to • Defeated the enemy • Believed God even life without fighting when it seemed • God was so close to impossible him, his shadow healed • Faithful to her husband, people Abraham MARY NEHEMIAH JOSHUA Gospels Book Nehemiah Exodus 17-33, Joshua • Brought the future into • Rebuilt the wall for his • Took people out of her day city the wilderness into the • God gave her dreams to • Didn’t listen to the promised land.
    [Show full text]
  • HOSEA NO. 2 October 16Th, 1998 Hosea's Main Point
    HOSEA NO. 2 October 16th, 1998 Hosea's Main Point Hosea 1:1-11; 3:1-5 Hosea begins with a bang! `Go,' the Lord tells his prophet, `take to yourself an adulteress wife and children of unfaithfulness.' This, it seems to mean and has always been widely taken to mean, that the Lord commanded Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman, indeed, perhaps a prostitute. To be sure, many have recoiled from that conclusion. Thinking that such a union would be, in itself sinful, and thus something the Lord would never intend, good and wise commentators have come to other conclusions. - Calvin maintained that the whole account of Hosea and Gomer is only a parable; not a description of what actually happened and what Hosea actually did at all. It was a story to make a point. The late E.J. Young, professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological seminary, took a similar view. - A fine new commentary on Hosea argues contrarily that Gomer was not a prostitute at all; that the phrase `adulterous wife' is used metaphor- ically, as `prostitution' is used metaphorically elsewhere in Hosea, to refer to Israel's spiritual adultery. In this case, Gomer is just a typical Israelite woman. This scholar further suggests, as have some others in the history of the interpretation of the book, that the woman de- scribed in chapter 3 is not Gomer, but another woman, whom Hosea later married, either after Gomer died or Hosea divorced her. I will not trouble or confuse you with the complexities of this debate.
    [Show full text]
  • Hannah and Samuel
    Unit 10 • Session 1 Use Week of: Unit 10 • Session 1 Hannah and Samuel BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Samuel 1–3 STORY POINT: God called Hannah’s son to share God’s plan. KEY PASSAGE: Jeremiah 10:6 BIG PICTURE QUESTION: Is anything or anyone greater than God? No, God is greater than everything and everyone. INTRODUCE THE STORY TEACH THE STORY APPLY THE STORY (10–15 MINUTES) (25–30 MINUTES) (25–30 MINUTES) PAGE 10 PAGE 12 PAGE 18 Additional resources are available at gospelproject.com. For free training and session-by- session help, visit MinistryGrid.com/gospelproject. Younger Kids Leader Guide 6 Unit 10 • Session 1 Book 1.indb 6 11/27/18 9:06 AM Unit 10 • Session 1 Use Week of: LEADER Bible Study The time of the judges was turbulent for God’s people. The Israelites had conquered the promised land of Canaan, but after Joshua’s death, they fell into a cycle of sin. This was the culture in which Hannah and her 1 husband Elkanah lived. They were ordinary Israelites—Elkanah, a devoted worshiper of the Lord; and Hannah, a woman who wanted nothing more than to be a mother. But the Lord had closed her womb. (1 Sam. 1:5) One year, when Elkanah went to make sacrifices and worship God, Hannah went too. She could no longer hide her grief over being childless. She prayed so fervently to the Lord—asking for a child and vowing to dedicate him to God—that Eli the priest rebuked her because he thought she was drunk.
    [Show full text]
  • Yearly Worship and Despair at Shiloh
    FAITH AND DEDICATION 1 Samuel 1:1-28 Episode 2: 1 Samuel 1:3-8 Yearly Worship and Despair at Shiloh LITERAL TRANSLATION TEXT (Biblia Hebraica) 3aAnd-he-went-up this man from-his-city wry(m )whh #$y)h hl(w3a from-days to-days hmymy Mymym to-bow-down and-to-sacrifice xbzlw twxt#$hl to-the-LORD of-hosts in-Shiloh. ..hl#$b tw)bc hwhyl 3band-there two-of sons-of-Eli yl(-ynb yn#$ M#$w3b Hophni and-Phinehas sxnpw ynpx priests to-the-LORD. .hwhyl Mynxk 4aAnd-it-came the-day when-sacrificed Elkanah hnql) xbzyw Mwyh yhyw4a 4bto-Peninnah his-wife he-customarily-gave Ntnw wt#$) hnnpl4b and-to-all-her-sons and-to-her-daughters hytwnbw hynb-lklw portions. .twnm 5aBut-to-Hannah he-customarily-would-give Nty hnxlw5a portion one face Myp) tx) hnm 5bbecause Hannah he-loved bh) hnx-t) yk5b 5calthough-the-LORD had-closed her-womb. .hmxr rns hwhyw5c 6aAnd-she-would-provoke-her her-rival htrc hts(kw6a indeed fiercely in-order to-humiliate-her hm(rh rwb(b s(k-Mg 6bfor-He-closed the-LORD hwhy rgs-yk6b completely her-womb. .hmxr d(b 7aAnd-this it-would-be-done year by-year hn#$b hn#$ h#(y Nkw7a 7bwhenever her-to-go-up in-the-house tybb htl( ydm7b of-the-LORD then-she-would-provoke-her hns(kt Nk hwhy 7cso-she-would-weep and-not she-would-eat. .lk)t )lw hkbtw7c 8aThus-he-said to-her Elkanah her-husband h#$y) hnql) hl rm)yw8a 8bHannah hnx8b 8cWhy you-weep? ykbt hml8c 8dAnd-why not you-eat? ylk)t )l hmlw8d 8eAnd-why it-is-resentful your-heart? Kbbl (ry hmlw8e 8fNot I better to-you than-ten sons? .Mynb hr#(m Kl bw+ ykn) )wlh8f Some explanation about this episode's distinctive temporal sequential of events demands special attention.
    [Show full text]
  • Alex Broullire Nathan Challe Bridget Charles Colby Drefcinski Hannah
    Welcome to 1484 N INTH S TREET · G REEN B A Y , WI 54304-3061 PARISH INFORMATION Phone (920) 494-2534 Email [email protected] Website www.stagnesgreenbay.org Parish Office Hours Mon.-Thurs. 8:00am -12:00pm 12:30pm - 4:30pm Alex Broullire Fri. 8:00am - 12:00pm Nathan Challe Pastor Father Patrick Beno Bridget Charles SACRAMENTAL SCHEDULE Colby Drefcinski Saturday 8:00am Mass Hannah Ferron 3:15pm Reconciliation 4:15pm Mass Kintressa Gosz Sunday 8:00am, 9:30am, and 11:00am Emily Mathias Masses Monday Avery McClain 6:45am Mass 7:00pm Family Prayer Night Orin Neta Tuesday 6:45am Mass* Gabrielle Schmit Wednesday 8:00am Mass Adilynn Schroeder Thursday 6:45am Mass* Anna Statz 8:45am School Mass Friday William Urick 6:45am Mass* * Reconciliation following the Jake Voigt 6:45am Mass (Tues., Thurs., Fri.) Conner Wendricks TO OUR VISITORS We welcome new parishioners to Hannah Wery our Saint Agnes Parish family. We invite you to join us by Jonah Wieske contacting the Parish Office to find out more about our parish Josey Wolf and to register! NEXT BULLETIN DEADLINE Jackson Youngwirth June 3rd (Noon) for June 9th bulletin May 26, 2019 · Sixth Sunday of Easter Parish News and Events J.M.J. SAINT AGNES Fr. Patrick Saint Agnes was born in 291 into a Roman family of The parish is required by Diocesan policy to have two trustees and our nobility and raised in a current trustees are Bill Vande Castle (Trustee Secretary) and Melissa Christian family. She Wolcanski (Trustee Treasurer). The trustee's term is for two years and suffered martyrdom for her they can serve three consecutive terms.
    [Show full text]
  • Prayer and Study Guide Daily Scripture Readings — 5/12/19
    Prayer and Study Guide Daily Scripture Readings — 5/12/19 Monday – Read I Samuel 1:1-8. Barrenness and Infertility. Hannah means charming, attractive, favor, or grace which suggests her role as the wife Elkanah loves. Peninnah means fertile or prolific which suggests her role as a childbearer. This created tension and pain in this family. Hannah stuggled with barrenness and infertility. Elkanah is a kind and well intentioned husband. He loves Hannah and tries to treat her with care, but he is also a bit self-centered. He does not tell Hannah that she is worth more to him than ten sons. Both Elkanah and Peninnah view Hannah’s infertility as a sign that God has rejected her, but God’s response to Hannah will prove this to be a premature judgment. If you struggle with infertility, there is great comfort in knowing that so many holy people wrestled with infertility: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, and Zechariah and Elizabeth. God loved them deeply and eventually answered their prayers and blessed them with children. Pray for couples who are struggling with infertility. Tuesday – Read I Samuel 1:9-18 and Luke 11:9-13. Hannah’s Persistent Prayer. Hannah presented her struggle against infertility to the Lord. She poured herself out to the Lord and asked God to see her misery and remember her. She asked God to give her a son, and she had faith that God would hear her prayer. She promised to dedicate this son to religious service. Hannah admits to Eli that she is a deeply troubled woman which might be better translated as hard, obstinate or stubborn of spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • Negating the Mother & the Maternal Body in the Hebrew Bible
    AKADEMIN FÖR UTBILDNING OCH EKONOMI Avdelningen för humaniora Negating the mother & the maternal body in the Hebrew Bible From Eve to Sarah, Rachel and Hannah Terese Norstedt Hedman 2016 Uppsats, Grundnivå (kandidatexamen), 15 hp Religionsvetenskap RVG801 Handledare: Mayvor Ekberg Examinator: Peder Thalén Abstract: The purpose of this study has been to examine and identify a negation of the mother and the maternal body within the Hebrew Bible. The starting point has been an understanding of a denial of feminine powers related to reproduction and women being primarily presented as vessels for paternity. A selection of biblical narratives was made to elucidate this negation through the structure of the texts by using an interdisciplinary method which combines a feminist hermeneutic with Russian Formalism. Previous feminist theologies like that of Ilana Pardes, Phyllis Trible and Esther Fuchs have assisted in highlighting the presentations of the mother and her role in the texts. Formalism has allowed a rejection of authorial context and intent; the study is synchronic, i.e. focus is on the text and its internal structures. Upon examination, the narratives have shown that the mother’s textual life span is chiefly limited to achieving maternity, but that as a mother she is in secondary position to the father, has no creative powers of her own, and lacks parental rights. The maternal body is entirely excluded from the Creation narratives, it is the sole reason for infertility, and it is rigidly controlled by the Father-God. Search Words: feminist theology, biblical mothers, barrenness, creative power, patriarchy Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 4 1.1.
    [Show full text]
  • There Is Now No Insider Or Outsider by Hannah Robinson
    There Is Now No Insider or Outsider Hannah Robinson Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation from the Malone University Honors Program Adviser: T. C. Ham, Ph.D. April 27, 2021 Table of Contents Preface i Introduction 1 Interlude: the first Woe 4 Chapter One: Rahab 5 Interlude: the first Confession 19 Chapter Two: Jonah 20 Interlude: the second Confession 35 Interlude: the second Woe 36 Chapter Three: The Ethiopian Eunuch 37 Interlude: the third woe 49 Conclusion 50 the third confession 55 Resolution 55 Acknowledgments 56 i Preface The initiation starts early. When I was five or six years old, I decided I wanted to be baptized. The decision was motivated by childlike faith. And a desire to belong. Because even then, I saw a divide: there were baptized believers who took communion together and constituted the church’s membership, and then there were the others. The ones who weren’t baptized, who weren’t full-fledged believers, who weren’t quite insiders yet. As I grew older, so did the divide between me and “the world.” I learned how to avoid all appearances of evil by not dating too young, not reading books with too much magic in them, and not saying words like “gosh” or “gee” because they were a form of taking God’s name in vain. Armed with a smattering of Aristotelian logic and a heavy dose of creationist apologetics, I learned how to debate my beliefs. I learned how to fight for the seemingly concrete concept of truth. I read books about how to keep my femininity from being tainted by feminism, rooted for Ken Ham when he debated Bill Nye, and watched popular Christian films.
    [Show full text]
  • The Konigmacher Family
    Lives C Legacies of the Turtledoves: A Closer Look at Sisters, Brothers, and Householders The Konigmacher Family From the late 1700s through the 1850s, members of the Konigmacher family became thriving business owners and leading members of the German Seventh Day Baptist Church at the Historic Ephrata Cloister.1 While some Konigmacher descendants may remain in the area, the family no longer shares the dynamic presence in the community their ancestors once held. Adam Konigmacher (1738-1793), the first family member in Ephrata, came to Ephrata Academy, 1837, built America from Germany with his mother and step-father in 1749. He lived at the at the encouragement of Cloister under the name Brother Neaman until at least 1765. Family tradition says Benjamin Konigmacher. he returned to Germany and married Christiana Eicher prior to 1768. The couple took up residence near the Ephrata area, possibly living at the Cloister between 1772 and 1776 when Adam’s name appeared in tax records as owning no land. By 1777, tax records list him owning one acre of land. Over time, he increased his holdings to as much as one-hundred forty-four acres in 1788. Tax records also list his occupation as stocking weaver and storekeeper. Adam and Christina Konigmacher had five children: Hannah, Abraham, Jacob, Benjamin and Adam, Jr. Hannah Konigmacher (1768-1830) married Dietrich Dishong (1767-1745), and they operated a general merchandise store about five miles east of Ephrata in the village of Hinkletown. The Dishongs had no children, and while Hannah appeared in congregation records at the Ephrata Cloister, Dietrich did not.
    [Show full text]
  • Session 6 Hannah: Trust- Filled Prayer
    SESSION 6 HANNAH: TRUST- FILLED PRAYER The Point Christ-centered living chooses prayer, not hopelessness. The Passage 1 Samuel 1:9-11,17-18,26-28; 2:1-3 The Bible Meets Life Diet and exercise. That remains the primary formula for weight loss. Of course, other medical reasons will sometimes explain why someone might be overweight. But for the vast majority of us, if we want to drop a few pounds, it comes down to diet and exercise. If the formula is that simple, why do so many of us struggle with healthy living? Beyond the other medical reasons, we can only assume that our ongoing struggle is not because we don’t know what to do, but because we fail to put into practice what we know. Prayer is like that. We know we ought to pray; we know we need to pray. But despite all the exhortations and commands, we often fail to put into practice what we know we should be doing. For Christians, prayer must become second nature to us because the alternative to choosing a consistent and ongoing prayer life is choosing, by default, to live with a sense of hopelessness. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, showed us what it looks like to come to God with our needs and trust Him to act on our behalf. The Setting Elkanah, of the tribe of Ephraim, had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah bore no children, but Peninnah did. Elkanah made a yearly pilgrimage to Shiloh to offer sacrifices. He gave portions of the remaining sacrificial meat to Peninnah and her children, but he gave double amounts to Hannah as expressions of his love in spite of her childlessness.
    [Show full text]