Mark Larrimore

The author is director of religious studies at the New School. He chronicles the "reception history" of commentators from the 3rd century midrash authors to Elie Wiesel. He takes a scholarly latitudinarian approach which is a watermark of Unitarian Universalism.

Summarizes the six-volume study of Job by Pope Gregory (540-604), which basically introduces centuries of allegorical interpretations of the entire Old Testament. This resource supports my theory that Book of Job is a holon of the Tanak, and of course is parallel in allegory to the New Testament. Gregory's view of Job's torment presaging the suffering of Jesus. See also excellent reviews of the expressed views of Maimonides, Aquinas, Hume, Lucien Febvre, and Voltaire's "What difference does it make?"

Voltaire said Candide was "Job brought up to date".

Kant said all we can do with doubts is admit them. Book of Job shows that the problem of evil remains an open wound. Riddles remain.

To their credit, some theologians stop trying to "figure out God's plan" and focus on the poetry, the sublimity. See von Herder, and Robert Lowth. Reviewer Joan Acocella interjects "As if ambiguity boosted the sublimity." As if !

Such aestheticism is a moral failure and removes Deity from any role in the human realm. Exactly Job's complaint. He thought he had a jolly relationship with G-d, now obviously breached. "I cry unto thee and thou dost not hear me!"

William Blake (watercolor illustrations 1810) did not mind the conflicts. "Without Contraries is no progression". Love and Hate, necessary.

After the Shoah, Elie Wiesel basically approached Job again on behalf of the survivors, noting that Job was not Jewish. Great text, epitomizing the Jewish suffering.

It is Rabbi Rubenstein who said we must think about Job's children and G-d's infanticide just to have a bet with Satan, an angel in the court of Heaven.

One of my favorite translators--he writes like Blake paints--is also reviewed: Stephen Mitchell, who may be a Buddhist. His authorship of "Book of Job" launches the "spiritual transformation" view which I experienced -- finding comfort in being part of the infinite, the dust.… (altro)