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Ruth: More Than a Love Story
This womens Bible study offers an in-depth examination of the purpose of the Book of Ruth and how God used the people in the narrative to show us His plan of salvation. A verse-by-verse analysis, Ruth: More than a Love Story explores themes, motifs, and context and provides thorough interpretation.
- GenresChristianChristianity
212 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 5, 2018
Great book! A good study about history, culture, and language in the book of Ruth, all meant to point us ahead to Jesus.
September 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this different take on the story of Ruth. We pay so much attention between the "romantic" union of Ruth and Boaz but this is the first time I have been directed to look at it as Christ-like images. The section by section dissection and explanation of the nuances of Ruth's story -- her relationship with Naomi, her marriage to Boaz, her role in the lineage of Christ -- was perhaps even more beautiful than "just" the love story of humans. As Ahlman so aptly concludes, it is *really* a love story between God and each of us.
In an effort to further educate myself and grow my faith, I reached for a study on a book of the Bible that has long held my attention. This study is quite in-depth and has a fair amount of academic lessons intermingled with faith lessons. It can read a bit dry at times, but it was worth pushing through, because the treasures were simply waiting to be mined. I wouldn't recommend this particular study for someone whose faith is fairly new, because it seemed to delve in more deeply for those who have heard the stories again and again and are, perhaps, looking for a little more meat. I also hesitate to say this study is entirely meant for women as there is a lot of information that focuses on being a child of God, not just a daughter.
In an effort to further educate myself and grow my faith, I reached for a study on a book of the Bible that has long held my attention. This study is quite in-depth and has a fair amount of academic lessons intermingled with faith lessons. It can read a bit dry at times, but it was worth pushing through, because the treasures were simply waiting to be mined. I wouldn't recommend this particular study for someone whose faith is fairly new, because it seemed to delve in more deeply for those who have heard the stories again and again and are, perhaps, looking for a little more meat. I also hesitate to say this study is entirely meant for women as there is a lot of information that focuses on being a child of God, not just a daughter.
June 1, 2019
(4.5 rating)
Having majored in Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, Elizabeth is trained to interpret Scripture from the original text, and even includes her own translation of Ruth in an appendix. She brings out nuances in the Hebrew that are missed by modern-day readers. I was fascinated to learn just what a literary masterpiece this book of the Bible is. Elizabeth introduces concepts such as the "leitwort," (keyword) of a section, as well as an "inclusio" (a phrase or word that brackets the beginning and ending of a text). Always she points to Jesus as the center of the book, and indeed, the entire Bible. Although it is designed for a group setting, I went through the book on my own, which honestly may work better. Each chapter is fairly lengthy and in-depth, so it may not work as well in a group unless each member reads the chapter before the Bible study time. If you're looking for a faithful interpretation and application of the book of Ruth, I recommend this book for your further study.
Having majored in Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, Elizabeth is trained to interpret Scripture from the original text, and even includes her own translation of Ruth in an appendix. She brings out nuances in the Hebrew that are missed by modern-day readers. I was fascinated to learn just what a literary masterpiece this book of the Bible is. Elizabeth introduces concepts such as the "leitwort," (keyword) of a section, as well as an "inclusio" (a phrase or word that brackets the beginning and ending of a text). Always she points to Jesus as the center of the book, and indeed, the entire Bible. Although it is designed for a group setting, I went through the book on my own, which honestly may work better. Each chapter is fairly lengthy and in-depth, so it may not work as well in a group unless each member reads the chapter before the Bible study time. If you're looking for a faithful interpretation and application of the book of Ruth, I recommend this book for your further study.
May 1, 2018
Elizabeth Ahlman did a phenomenal job researching for this book. I ended up choosing this book to use it as a supplement to another Bible Study that was less reading and more questions. It fit my women’s Bible study better. However, her information was SO helpful to focus on the basic, beautiful, Christian truths and I pulled from her book many times as I led a group of about 12 ladies in the study of the book of Ruth over a period of a few months. The author helped us realize that this little book found in the Old Testament isn’t just a good story, but it is all about Jesus for us! Thank you, Elizabeth!
July 16, 2020
While I probably wouldn't lead this book as a women's Bible study as is, it is absolutely incredible. If using it in a fairly varied group of women especially, I would start by gleaning from it as we go rather than read in-depth as a group. The nice thing about studying books of the Bible is you'll never delve all the depths, so there's always more to return to.
There are many rich findings here, as well as some nuggets to pursue in future. I will definitely be returning to this again!
There are many rich findings here, as well as some nuggets to pursue in future. I will definitely be returning to this again!
May 19, 2020
I wanted something much lighter. This is definitely a scholarly writing.
March 16, 2018
This was a good Bible study. It's more academic that most of what is on the market, but worth it. There is much in the content that one could apply to studying the literary aspect of the Bible, not just to the book of Ruth. My Bible study group was a bit intimidated by the academic feel of the book, but they managed the material just fine. It's good to be stretched!
May 12, 2016
A thoughtful study of the book of Ruth from a Lutheran perspective. Ahlman includes insights from both a theological and literary perspective and helps the reader apply the truths of God's Word to daily life.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews