Keefe has written a book on Hosea from her perspective as a postmodern feminist. The book provides an insightful critique and summary of differing feminist hermeneutics and emphasizes the singular goal of challenging the dominant interpretation. Her contention is that the marriage metaphor of Hosea has long been misapplied to Israel's forsaking Yahweh for the Canaanite fertility religion when in reality it stems from a sociological setting of the family unity in ancient Israel.
Overshadowing the entire book is Keefe's view of religion as the understanding of this world apart from other influences. It is "not about entities other than the world," (77) and "has to do with modes of human orientation in relation to material realities," (194). Having moved religion to a human-only enterprise it is no surprise that the author excludes legitimate discussion of God and revelation and embraces a sociological understanding for Hosea as a metaphor for the struggle in the basic family unit of ancient Israel. For Keefe there is no dichotomy between matter and spirit for there is only "matter." Keefe embraces a minimalist position on the history of Israel and sees the united monarchy as mostly a myth so Hosea becomes an initial representative of Israel's real religion. Hosea is not about the challenges Israel faced with the Canaanite fertility cult but about the socio-political struggles of a small people group. In some cases the author sidesteps evidence that would challenge her position, like chapter of three of Hosea or evidence from the Egyptian religion. After removing Hosea from an informed historical context and eliminating a spiritual environment the book offers little to any seeking information about the biblical book of Hosea and much more on one form of the feministic hermeneutic.
