Critically compar lal ys ayd Ruth rs h ac iygs oy ood
Boh Ruth r ayd lal y ar h vi w h ah hraditioyal C ri tiayihy i a outrc of xi m buth h r i a
pirihutalihy w ic f miyi m draw at ytioy ho For xampl , h y boh agsr h ah calliygs ood ‘ s i
yoh youtgs b caut addiygs a f mal proyouty do ysh futydam yhally alh r h pahriarc al
p rc ptioy of h diviy , oyly f miyi m ad qutah ly d al wih utmay r latioy ip ayd h
yviroym yh Alh ryativ ly, h dif r yc b hw y h hwo h ologsiays p rc ptioy oy ood
iyclutd : Rut h r r haiy h xi h yc of ood w o cay b kyowy a pirih ayd wi dom, lal y r j ch
h xi h yc of ood ayd r plac im wih yahutr Futrh rmor , lal y r j ch h yotioy h ah ood
i f mal /mal ayd h ah b iygs ‘iy C ri hs h r i ‘y ih r mal yor f mal s b caut pahriarc y i hoo
hroygs v r ho do h i jut tic Rut h r, oy h oh r ayd, coy id r h xp ri yc of ood iy
f mal /mal h rm iy ayci yh ayd pr rv d iy C ri tiayihy
Fir hly, laly d v lop d h vi w h ah iy arli r tim wom y ad ac i v d a pirihutal coyy ctioy wih
yahutr w ic pahriarc al cutlhutr ad d hroy d ut iygs ood a a jut tiicatioy lal y do ysh b li v
h ah h C ri tiay valut outld b dir chly abid d by ayd h ah if yout do yoh agsr wih h law h y
yout outld yoh b a ‘ lav s ayd bliydly follow h m How v r, h i argsutm yh woutld b critici d by
om C ri tiay a h y woutld argsut h ah h bibl i h word of ood ayd h ah h valut outld
b follow d a a igsy of r p ch ho ood a w ar coytiygs yh b iygs ayd i h omyipoh yh igsutr
Som hraditioyal C ri tiay may gso a far ho argsut h ah by yoh hakiygs h word of ood lih rally yout
ar iyyiygs ayd coy qut yhly coyd myiygs youtr lf ho ll Oy h oh r ayd, accordiygs ho laly
c yhral ho h c utrc s m ay of pow r i b li f iy h dochriy abouth ood A h dochriy av
b y d v lop d by m y ho favoutr m y, laly argsut h ah ih i yoh utfci yh ho pr yh ood iy f mal
h rm b caut a f mal v r ioy of ood woutld till b mal iy yc Iy compari oy, of y
C ri tiay av claim d h ah d pih lalys accut atioy h ah ood i mal h y h mal i ood, e ut s
h ac iygs op y d utp a vi ioy of a y w hray form d oci hy iy w ic gs yd r di tiyctioy woutld
di app ar Sh Pautl, for xampl , hautgs h h ah ‘h r i y ih r mal yor f mal ; for all of yout ar oy
iy C ri h e ut ” (oalatiay 3:28) Buth laly coy id r h ah h i i a f bl at mph ho mak C ri tiayihy
palahabl Sh Pautl y v r imagsiy d h ah gs yd r woutld b com irr l vayh a h i wa yoh coyv ytioyal
of h tim ayd C ri h wa mal , h y wom y woutld av ho b com lik m y For laly, h c utrc
i a liviygs xampl of ow hrut h i i
Rut h r, from ay alh ryativ poiyh of vi w, mad r argsutm yh ba d utpoy h fach h ah h rooh of
eutdai m from w ic C ri tiayihy d v lop d w r yoh hrichly moyoh i tic ayd ood wa far l mal
ori yhah d Alh outgs eutdai m i a moyoh i tic r ligsioy ih r haiy d ih r p ch for yahutr by
maiyhaiyiygs h id a od h oodd a h outrc of lif iyho ih wor ip ayd r latioy ip wih ood
For xampl , iy a pa ags from h prop h of I aia ood i d pich d a h moh r gsodd gsoiygs
h routgs h paiy of c ild birh I aia ut h moh r ayalogsy a a m ay of xpr iygs oods
utf riygs lov for h I ra lih p opl b caut of h ir faih futly Alh outgs , ih a b y argsut d h ah
Rut h rs iyclut ioy of h ‘oodd s laygsutags ayd xp ri yc from r ligsioy outh id of C ri tiayihy,
Rut h r a compromi d h utyihy ayd ov r igsyhy of ood Ayoh r hrayd of moyoh i m h ah
Rut h r argsut i w r h f mal y of ood i r haiy d i iy w ah i kyowy a wi dom Iy h
ayci yh world wi dom wa utyiv r ally utyd r hood ho b h diviy outrc of kyowl dgs ayd lif S
i alway pr yh d iy f mal h rm Rut h r gso oy ho ow h ah C ri tiayihy pr rv h
f miyiy a p ch of ood iy h iycaryatioy ayd h hriyihy T m ia of h y w h ham yh i
pr yh d a a rvayh Kiygs, focut d oy rviygs p opl rah r h ay r v ygs w ic cay b liyk d ho
f miyiy id a of wi dom A Rut h r hah d iy r book xi m ayd ood halk “e ut s vi ioy of h
kiygsdom i y ih r yatioyali tic yor oh r worldly T comiygs r igsy of ood i xp ch d ho app y oy
Earh Ih i a tim w y… all dw ll iy armoyy wih ood” Iy compari oy, Alh outgs Rut h r i a
Boh Ruth r ayd lal y ar h vi w h ah hraditioyal C ri tiayihy i a outrc of xi m buth h r i a
pirihutalihy w ic f miyi m draw at ytioy ho For xampl , h y boh agsr h ah calliygs ood ‘ s i
yoh youtgs b caut addiygs a f mal proyouty do ysh futydam yhally alh r h pahriarc al
p rc ptioy of h diviy , oyly f miyi m ad qutah ly d al wih utmay r latioy ip ayd h
yviroym yh Alh ryativ ly, h dif r yc b hw y h hwo h ologsiays p rc ptioy oy ood
iyclutd : Rut h r r haiy h xi h yc of ood w o cay b kyowy a pirih ayd wi dom, lal y r j ch
h xi h yc of ood ayd r plac im wih yahutr Futrh rmor , lal y r j ch h yotioy h ah ood
i f mal /mal ayd h ah b iygs ‘iy C ri hs h r i ‘y ih r mal yor f mal s b caut pahriarc y i hoo
hroygs v r ho do h i jut tic Rut h r, oy h oh r ayd, coy id r h xp ri yc of ood iy
f mal /mal h rm iy ayci yh ayd pr rv d iy C ri tiayihy
Fir hly, laly d v lop d h vi w h ah iy arli r tim wom y ad ac i v d a pirihutal coyy ctioy wih
yahutr w ic pahriarc al cutlhutr ad d hroy d ut iygs ood a a jut tiicatioy lal y do ysh b li v
h ah h C ri tiay valut outld b dir chly abid d by ayd h ah if yout do yoh agsr wih h law h y
yout outld yoh b a ‘ lav s ayd bliydly follow h m How v r, h i argsutm yh woutld b critici d by
om C ri tiay a h y woutld argsut h ah h bibl i h word of ood ayd h ah h valut outld
b follow d a a igsy of r p ch ho ood a w ar coytiygs yh b iygs ayd i h omyipoh yh igsutr
Som hraditioyal C ri tiay may gso a far ho argsut h ah by yoh hakiygs h word of ood lih rally yout
ar iyyiygs ayd coy qut yhly coyd myiygs youtr lf ho ll Oy h oh r ayd, accordiygs ho laly
c yhral ho h c utrc s m ay of pow r i b li f iy h dochriy abouth ood A h dochriy av
b y d v lop d by m y ho favoutr m y, laly argsut h ah ih i yoh utfci yh ho pr yh ood iy f mal
h rm b caut a f mal v r ioy of ood woutld till b mal iy yc Iy compari oy, of y
C ri tiay av claim d h ah d pih lalys accut atioy h ah ood i mal h y h mal i ood, e ut s
h ac iygs op y d utp a vi ioy of a y w hray form d oci hy iy w ic gs yd r di tiyctioy woutld
di app ar Sh Pautl, for xampl , hautgs h h ah ‘h r i y ih r mal yor f mal ; for all of yout ar oy
iy C ri h e ut ” (oalatiay 3:28) Buth laly coy id r h ah h i i a f bl at mph ho mak C ri tiayihy
palahabl Sh Pautl y v r imagsiy d h ah gs yd r woutld b com irr l vayh a h i wa yoh coyv ytioyal
of h tim ayd C ri h wa mal , h y wom y woutld av ho b com lik m y For laly, h c utrc
i a liviygs xampl of ow hrut h i i
Rut h r, from ay alh ryativ poiyh of vi w, mad r argsutm yh ba d utpoy h fach h ah h rooh of
eutdai m from w ic C ri tiayihy d v lop d w r yoh hrichly moyoh i tic ayd ood wa far l mal
ori yhah d Alh outgs eutdai m i a moyoh i tic r ligsioy ih r haiy d ih r p ch for yahutr by
maiyhaiyiygs h id a od h oodd a h outrc of lif iyho ih wor ip ayd r latioy ip wih ood
For xampl , iy a pa ags from h prop h of I aia ood i d pich d a h moh r gsodd gsoiygs
h routgs h paiy of c ild birh I aia ut h moh r ayalogsy a a m ay of xpr iygs oods
utf riygs lov for h I ra lih p opl b caut of h ir faih futly Alh outgs , ih a b y argsut d h ah
Rut h rs iyclut ioy of h ‘oodd s laygsutags ayd xp ri yc from r ligsioy outh id of C ri tiayihy,
Rut h r a compromi d h utyihy ayd ov r igsyhy of ood Ayoh r hrayd of moyoh i m h ah
Rut h r argsut i w r h f mal y of ood i r haiy d i iy w ah i kyowy a wi dom Iy h
ayci yh world wi dom wa utyiv r ally utyd r hood ho b h diviy outrc of kyowl dgs ayd lif S
i alway pr yh d iy f mal h rm Rut h r gso oy ho ow h ah C ri tiayihy pr rv h
f miyiy a p ch of ood iy h iycaryatioy ayd h hriyihy T m ia of h y w h ham yh i
pr yh d a a rvayh Kiygs, focut d oy rviygs p opl rah r h ay r v ygs w ic cay b liyk d ho
f miyiy id a of wi dom A Rut h r hah d iy r book xi m ayd ood halk “e ut s vi ioy of h
kiygsdom i y ih r yatioyali tic yor oh r worldly T comiygs r igsy of ood i xp ch d ho app y oy
Earh Ih i a tim w y… all dw ll iy armoyy wih ood” Iy compari oy, Alh outgs Rut h r i a
