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Full-Text Articles in Biblical Studies
The Monstrous Other And The Biblical Narrative Of Ruth, Jonathan Lyonhart, Jennifer Matheny
The Monstrous Other And The Biblical Narrative Of Ruth, Jonathan Lyonhart, Jennifer Matheny
Journal of Religion & Film
Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water (2017) restages the biblical narrative of Ruth in Cold War America, crystallizing the parallel through setting numerous scenes at a local cinema that is playing The Story of Ruth (1960). The book of Ruth tells the tale of how a non-Israelite outsider could be welcomed into the kingdom of God and ultimately into the lineage of Christ. Likewise, del Toro populates his tale with multiple outsiders—multiple ‘Ruths’—including a mute woman, an African American cleaner, a Russian Communist, and an elderly homosexual male. However, these are merely reflections of the ultimate outsider, Del Toro’s …