The Book of Ruth cannot be understood simply in terms of an emancipatory impetus or a history of integration. Its substantive and structural form is shaped by literary references and poetic allusions that interpret earlier narratives and lend it theological poignancy. As a history of hope in the gestalt of a family story, the Book of Ruth is a variant of wisdom theology in which human and divine actions are inseparably bound together.

Andrea Beyer, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen.