Hosea
Hosea describes the relationship between God and Israel as comparable to the prophet’s marriage to a prostitute. This image was tremendously useful in the struggle to replace polytheism with the worship of one God. Worshiping other gods is like cheating on one’s husband.
In our contemporary context, though, where we are not fighting against polytheism, what becomes of this image? It has been used to justify God’s wrath in ways that assume a husband has a right to beat his wife and that women are evil. Can we find less violent and more adequate ways to talk about people’s lack of commitment to God?
If you would like to read in preparation for today’s class, see chapters 1 and 2 of Battered Love.
God’s People as Whore
Books you may find helpful:
