Abstract
Abstract The story of Jephthah and his daughter (Judg. 11:29–40) is a peculiar and problematic text. This article explores the question of the accountability for the sacrificial act with which the story culminates, and which provokes sharp disapproval in certain quarters, especially because of its gender bias. Applying the hermeneutical framework of René Girard and his distinction between sacrifice in Greek mythology (divinity in charge) and sacrifice in Judeo-Christian revelation (everyone responsible for his/her actions), I investigate the question: Is Jephthah’s daughter a mute puppet in a drama staged by her tyrannical father, or perhaps fate, or is she rather a woman who is responsible for her own actions and accountable only to herself? The answer is twofold: she is a woman fully responsible for herself; however, the responsibility for her premature and violent death is shared by her father, herself, and the biblical author–redactor. After identifying Jephthah’s daughter as a person responsible for her own actions, I aim to overcome the dialectic of “the text of terror” (post-structuralist interpretation) and the search for “herstory” (neoliberal interpretation). I suggest that in her powerlessness against patriarchal tyranny, Jephthah’s daughter nonetheless exerts power and authority in condemning the existing power structures. Without approving any form of sacrifice, reading the story through a lens of powerful powerlessness can help us discern different forms of power and, ultimately, reject the aggression and violence that has dominated our world to this very day.
Highlights
Sacrifice is a popular theme in philosophical and theological discussions
Applying the hermeneutical framework of René Girard and his distinction between sacrifice in Greek mythology and sacrifice in Judeo-Christian revelation, I investigate the question: Is Jephthah’s daughter a mute puppet in a drama staged by her tyrannical father, or perhaps fate, or is she rather a woman who is responsible for her own actions and accountable only to herself? The answer is twofold: she is a woman fully responsible for herself; the responsibility for her premature and violent death is shared by her father, herself, and the biblical author–redactor
My hermeneutical framework for the story of Jephthah’s daughter is the Girardian distinction between sacrifice in Greek mythology and sacrifice in Judeo-Christian revelation,[4] a distinction which opens the question of human accountability for the sacrificial act, which is seminal for my research
Summary
Sacrifice is a popular theme in philosophical and theological discussions. The concept remains ambiguous, and the field is contested across anthropological, ethnological, sociological, and ethical perspectives. My hermeneutical framework for the story of Jephthah’s daughter is the Girardian distinction between sacrifice in Greek mythology and sacrifice in Judeo-Christian revelation,[4] a distinction which opens the question of human accountability for the sacrificial act, which is seminal for my research. Römer,[6] that the sacrifice of Jephthah’s daughter is not a version of the Greek myth Iphigenia in Aulis but a Christian revelation in which individuals make their own choices will we be in a position to hold anyone accountable for the sacrifice: if the genre is not clearly defined, asking questions such as whom to blame for the result becomes somewhat problematic. I will analyse Jephthah’s (hasty) vow to God; thirdly, I will carry out a rhetorical analysis of the exchange between Jephthah and his daughter upon Jephthah’s return from his victorious battle; I will provide a philosophical–theological synthesis of the story against a background of the existential–phenomenological discourse on sacrifice. Whose Story? Which Sacrifice? 333 we begin to distinguish between different forms of power which do not necessarily have to be aggressive and violent but may be powerful in their powerlessness?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
