Norwegian national day oratory: constructing and reconstructing a national we

National day speeches play an explicit part in defining national identities. In this article, we examine how mayors in Norwegian municipalities reflect on Norway's increased diversity in their 17 May speeches. National day speeches in Norway are supposed to focus on unity, not conflict. Yet, what have they become in the context of diversity? In applying theoretical perspectives on nations, rituals and language to data consisting of a selection of speeches, our analysis identifies themes that structure a typical 17 May speech. We explore the use of plural pronouns in the speeches and how they make Norwegian national identity more or less accessible for people with minority backgrounds. By including ethnic minorities in national day rhetoric, the speakers negotiate who belongs in the Norwegian community in a less directly political way than in everyday life. Yet, whilst the genre is celebratory, the national day speeches also echo different political attitudes towards diversity and integration.     

Book Reviews

Ellen Juhl Christiansen, The Covenant in Judaism &; Paul. A Study in Ritual Boundaries as Identity Markers (Arbeiten zur Geschichte des Antiken Judentums und des Christentums XXVII; Brill, Leiden 1995, pp 396.

Eberhard Bons, Psalm 31, Rettung als Paradigma. Eine synchron‐le‐serorientierte Analyse (Frankfurter Theologische Studien 48; Verlag J. Knecht, Frankfurt am Main 1994), pp 307.

Magne Sæb?, editor (in co‐operation with Chris Brekelmans and Me‐nahem Haran), Hebrew Bible I Old Testament: The History of Its Interpretation. Volume I. From the Beginnings to the Middle Ages (Until 1300). Part 1. Antiquity. Göttingen, Vandenhoeck &; Ruprecht 1996. 847 pp. Price: DM 210.

Martin Rösel, Bibelkunde des Alten Testaments. Neukirchen 1996. Pp.182.

Hans M. Barstad, The Myth of the Empty Land. Symbolae Osloenses fasasuppl. XXVIII, Scandinavian University Press, Oslo 1996. Pp 113.

Klaus Samuel Davidowicz, Gershom Scholem und Martin Buber. Die Geschichte eines Mißverständnisses. Neukirchener Theologische Dissertationen und Habilationen 5; Neukirchen 1995, Pp 166.     

Biblical Archaeology: a Plea for its Continuation

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to propose a ritualistic reading of Old Testament ritual texts based on the theory of Roy A. Rappaport. ² 2. Rappaport's ritual theory as it is expressed in Rappaport's major work, Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). One of Rappaport's more or less overlooked views is that in order to be able to “understand” a certain ritual, one will have to become acquainted with this ritual's liturgical orders, its encoded message. In other words to understand a ritual it is necessary in some way to be informed of this ritual's particular worldview.

As I focus on the ritual texts of the so called P material in the Pentateuch, and in particular on the law of the Nazirite in Numbers 6,1–21, I use this notion of Rappaport's as a hermeneutical key to the reading of the ritual texts.

It is my claim that when we try to answer the questions posed by a ritual text, if we limit our search to the worldview of the ritual in question, we will not only be using an approach which is methodologically sound and appropriate, we will also receive better answers.     

Partisanship and the gender gap: support for gender quotas in Australia

The percentage of women elected in the Australian Parliament is comparatively low. This poor track record has generated debate within political parties about the necessity of gender quotas (or targets) to increase women’s representation. Using the 2016 Australian Election Study, this paper proposes to test support for different measures aiming to increasing women’s representation in Australian politics. More specifically, I investigate the role of partisanship in explaining gender differences in support for gender quotas. I find that differences in support for quotas are greater among women, and among men, than between women and men. The paper also demonstrates that the role of political values in explaining differences in support for gender quotas is non-uniform. Indeed, attitudes towards government intervention, minority rights, and gender equality are more crucial in explaining differences in support for legislative quotas among men than among women.