Three Classical Stories by Rosemary Ruether: A Summary
Summary of “Three Classical Stories”
In “Three Classical Stories” by Rosemary Ruther explains how Christian world is based on three different stories and how they are the foundation for society.
In first story “the Babylonian Creation Story” Ruther believes that the Babylonian society is built on military power. There are many gods first with female domination and after Marduk killed his mother and father it was dominated by male. Marduk creates sky from his mother’s body and then he created mankind from Kingu’s blood and clay. This society believes on hierarchy of rulers and servant, where humans are servants of god. In second story “The Hebrew Creation Story” Ruther analyzed the creator work for six days to created light, sky, dry land, plant, sun, moon, stars, birds, animal, and human. Mankind is given the power to rule on animals, birds, earth and plant; but they cannot spoil or destroy the environment. God is divine in Hebrew society and there is no class domination between men and women. Servants are allowed in Hebrew but master needs to be kind to them, and set them free after fifty years. “The Greek Story” is the third story in which Ruther presents the moral of society. Demiurgos put earth in the center of seven planet and made the human soul from the same element he made world soul. Then, Demiurgos put the soul in the stars where it will gain its knowledge and then embedded them in men body which was created by planetary gods. Once soul fulfills its task to control body sensation it will return to their native star. However, if soul was failed to accomplish its task and did not stay away from evil it will re-embodied in woman body and then in animal. Greek believes on male dominate society and hierarchy of human over animal.
According to Ruther, “Creation stories not only reflect current science, that is, the assumptions about the nature of the world physical processes, and their relationships; but they are also blueprints for society” (15). Christian
In “Three Classical Stories” by Rosemary Ruther explains how Christian world is based on three different stories and how they are the foundation for society.
In first story “the Babylonian Creation Story” Ruther believes that the Babylonian society is built on military power. There are many gods first with female domination and after Marduk killed his mother and father it was dominated by male. Marduk creates sky from his mother’s body and then he created mankind from Kingu’s blood and clay. This society believes on hierarchy of rulers and servant, where humans are servants of god. In second story “The Hebrew Creation Story” Ruther analyzed the creator work for six days to created light, sky, dry land, plant, sun, moon, stars, birds, animal, and human. Mankind is given the power to rule on animals, birds, earth and plant; but they cannot spoil or destroy the environment. God is divine in Hebrew society and there is no class domination between men and women. Servants are allowed in Hebrew but master needs to be kind to them, and set them free after fifty years. “The Greek Story” is the third story in which Ruther presents the moral of society. Demiurgos put earth in the center of seven planet and made the human soul from the same element he made world soul. Then, Demiurgos put the soul in the stars where it will gain its knowledge and then embedded them in men body which was created by planetary gods. Once soul fulfills its task to control body sensation it will return to their native star. However, if soul was failed to accomplish its task and did not stay away from evil it will re-embodied in woman body and then in animal. Greek believes on male dominate society and hierarchy of human over animal.
According to Ruther, “Creation stories not only reflect current science, that is, the assumptions about the nature of the world physical processes, and their relationships; but they are also blueprints for society” (15). Christian