Abraham and Hagar: paragons of fugitives
Poorthuis,Marcel
Poorthuis,Marcel
Abstract
In post-Biblical interpretations of Abraham, much emphasis is placed on him being persecuted. Abraham leaving Ur of the Chaldeans is interpreted as an escape from the tyranny of Nimrod. Curiously, Abraham is instrumental afterwards in expelling the bond-maid Hagar into the desert. In Black feminist theology, Hagar becomes the paragon of the experience of women made slaves. Even more surprising is the transformation of Hagar in Islam, in which she becomes the first person to perform the Hajj. As such, these examples (of Abraham and Hagar) show how the experience of being a fugitive is constitutive to religious identity.
Description
Date
2020
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Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
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Keywords
Abraham, Feminist interpretation, Hagar, Islam, Midrash, Nomadic existence, Oral tradition
Citation
Poorthuis, M 2020, 'Abraham and Hagar: paragons of fugitives', Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Religions- und Kulturgeschichte, vol. 114, pp. 279-290. https://doi.org/10.24894/2673-3641.00064