Rage in the Belly
Hunger in the New Testament
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: Cascade Books (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2021
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Publisher's Description
How is rage related to hunger? Hunger is a liminal experience, connected to powerlessness, shame, and violence. Hunger does not issue into speech. It cannot therefore be easily found in the biblical texts, written by (and about) people who knew hunger. It hides behind the words in these texts. Rage, conversely, finds expression; and in the texts, it can alert readers to hidden experiences of hunger. But rage is not just a response to the lack of food. It is also a transformative force, reaching towards a justice that is not yet real. The experience of hunger and the fear of famine often go hand in hand with anger--a rage that can bring whole populations to their feet. Luzia Sutter Rehmann develops a biblical hermeneutic that centers on the "fire" in the belly of the hungry, their rage that leads to protests and uprisings. Her reading shows "the poor" or "the many" as those with whom Jesus cooperates and as subjects acting on their own initiative. The book also highlights key socio-historical information on the food situation of ancient Rome and Palestine: on poverty, political dependence and unrest, droughts, and famines.
Endorsements (3)
“Even in the United States, four out of five Americans experience situations of near-poverty in their lifetimes. Reading biblical texts through the lens of a ‘hermeneutic of hunger,’ therefore, is to read with the interests of the majority rather than a minority in mind. Informed by these interests, Sutter Rehmann is able to rediscover, reclaim, and revitalize core biblical and theological traditions of solidarity with the many and with God, redefining religion in the process.”
“Biblical interpreters will warmly welcome this translation for English-speaking audiences of Wut im Bauch: Hunger im Neuen Testament, already available in its second German edition. Rage in the Belly centers a ‘hermeneutic of hunger’ by attending to the silences in the biblical text that spark battles against hunger. This book frames the struggles among the poor, and the anger often accompanying them, as a visionary force that leads social movements. This naming of hunger and injustice firmly grounds the call for bread and justice, and rightly takes its place in the liberationist tradition.”
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