Overview

Mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah: A Metaphor for Zion Theology offers the unique perspective that personified mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah is not just a metaphor used for a rhetorical purpose but a cognitive metaphor representing Zion theology, a central theme in the Book of Isaiah. The author deftly combines the methods of metaphor theory and intertextuality to explain the vital but often overlooked conundrum that Zion in Deutero-Isaiah is an innocent mother, unlike the adulterous wife in other prophetic books. This interpretation offers a vital corrective to the view of women in the biblical context. As a result of this usage, Deutero-Isaiah paradoxically presents Yahweh the Creator as the one who gives birth to the people, not mother Zion. This understanding explains the concentration of gynomorphic imagery used for God in this prophetic book, providing a counterbalance to patriarchal perspectives of God. Finally, a fresh insight is offered into the ongoing debate between universalism and nationalism in Deutero-Isaiah, based on the premise that as a symbol of Zion theology, mother Zion represents Yahweh’s universal sovereignty rather than a nationalistic ethnicity. Mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah is an invaluable resource in courses that deal with issues in Isaiah, biblical interpretation, and feminist hermeneutics, especially regarding the feminine personification of Zion and the maternal imagery of God.

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9781433121579

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The metaphorical world of Second Isaiah continues to be a resource for but also a challenge to contemporary biblical scholarship. Maggie Low offers a subtle exploration of Second Isaiah's depiction of God as a woman in labor and as a mother. Through careful and detailed analysis especially of Isaiah 42, 49, and 50, Low highlights the foundational character of female imagery for the literary composition and theology of Isaiah 40-55. A wonderful resource for scholars and pastors. (Andreas Schuele, Head of the Department of Old Testament Studies, University of Leipzig) Maggie Low's Mother Zion in Deutero-Isaiah provides a substantial, fresh, and insightful study of a trope in Isaiah 40-55 that has been long recognized but not thoroughly investigated. Passionately argued, this book highlights several gynomorphic metaphors in the text, always attuned to their broader literary contexts, rhetorical effects, and abiding theological relevance. It demonstrates yet again the vitality of an ancient tradition at the hands of an imaginative exilic poet. (Choon-Leong Seow, Henry Snyder Gehman Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature, Princeton Theological Seminary)

Author Information

Maggie Low received her PhD in Old Testament from Union-PSCE in Richmond, Virginia. She is an Old Testament lecturer at Trinity Theological College, Singapore, and an ordained minister of The Presbyterian Church in Singapore.

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