The Story of Ruth

by Joan D. Chittister

Book Overview

In this beautiful book best-selling author Joan Chittister and celebrated artist John August Swanson together reclaim the ancient story of Ruth as a model for contemporary women seeking a fully... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 2895070911
• ISBN13: 9782895070917
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Novalis Publishing
• Length: 92 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 1.0"

Customer Reviews

The Story of Ruth. I liked the identity, I felt as a woman. Only draw back, some heavy underlining d

This book gives courage, strength, faith, hope, and insight to women who have losses and are struggling against overwhelming odds.

Good for so much more...

I am a Lutheran pastor and brought this book to my weekly Women's Bible Study group for review as a study choice. Because it is not technically a Biblical study, it was to my surprise they chose it. Not only are the graphics beautiful and provocative - as good in the paperback edition as mine are in the original hardcover - Joan Chittister's writing is thorough, deep and insightful. It has led us to have many, many thoughtful discussions on our personal pasts, our growth, our challenges, the role of women - past, present and future - and faith in God by using the chapters as weekly topics and reflecting back on the nuances in the Biblical account of Ruth, Orpah and Naomi. Yes. It takes some work on my part but the blessings we have achieved from the book are well worth the extra effort! I highly recommend it for personal reading as well as group study.

Not Christian But Found This Book Helpful In Navigating Transitions in life

I thought this book was a wonderful tool that helped me to navigate some heavy duty gender specific transitions in my life. I'm not Christian but I felt I could identify with both women.

A beautiful Book

I ordered the book to research for a paper in my Master's Program. I loved it and have loaned it out several times already. It is illustrated beautifully and written well. I am so glad I purchased it.

Motivation for coping with the daily grind of life

I read "The Story of Ruth" about a year after I read "Scarred by Struggle," which is also by Dr.Chittister. Both books offer inspriation for dealing with difficulties based on a biblical story. The difference between the type of advice they offer, is that "The Story of Ruth," contends more with the daily struggles that confront us in our lives, whereas "Scarred by Struggle" offers advice more suitable to a particular setback, such as an end of a relationship, or loss of job. Dr. Chittister makes an interesting comment about the story of Ruth, in that though there is no blatant theophany in this book, one can not doubt that God is somehow present. For most of us, this will be our experience in life. God is present to us and speaks to us more often through the actions of others, than a Monty Python-type voice hailing from the sky. Likewise, we are called to do our best to try to create God's kingdom on this earth, by using our abilities and resources to help others and ourselves. Essentailly the story of Ruth is the story of women, who do all they can to help themselves, despite the fact that they are at a disadvantage by lacking male family members, and one of them (Ruth) is a foreigner and the other (Naomi) essentially is a stranger in her homeland, as she had lived outside it for so long. Despite the odds, they maintain their faith in the future, and eventually their welfare not only vastly improves, but they become the ancestors of David. This is a great gift for girls who are reaching adolescence age. Or perhaps for any woman who is feelign a bit run down by life. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the message is optimistic. It is book that encourages hope in life, no matter how daunting one's station in life may appear to be, and reinforces the adage attributed to Augustine of Hippo that to be successful one must work as if every thing depended on one's self, but pray as if every thing depended on God.

The Story of Ruth-----A Beautiful Gift

Every mother should gift her daughter with this beautiful book! Joan Chittister unfolds beautifully and clearly what every mother wishes her daughters to know in order to become the full persons they were created to be. Each example from the Story of Ruth powerfully illustrates "delineating moments in every human life...... points after which we are never the same again". In The Story of Ruth, Joan Chittister shows us the qualities of Naomi and Ruth as they face life and make choices.... but more than that, Chittister confirms, refreshes and energizes the "stuff" that all women hold within themselves. This is an en-courgaging book for all women...mothers daughters, grandmothers.....women....single or married..... and it is also a book for MEN! For within these pages there is the depth of thought and experience lived by "the other half of humanity." Men will find the richness of this insight invaluable....an enhancement to their own perspective and attitude toward creation. Once again, thank you, Joan Chittister, for this beautiful gift of strength.