Quelling Whirlwinds: A Collection of Approaches to the Book of Job (thesis)

Abstract

In this piece I wrestle with the historical context and literary trends of the ANE in analyzing The Book of Job. Using three different approaches to areas of the book, I attempt to address the piecemeal writing with a piecemeal approach. Because Job has a contentious history, my work attempts to establish my view that despite major differences we can rectify the lack of context through larger cultural trends. I will introduction to the text and its lack of historical context. I then cover the trend of the pious sufferer in ANE literature, followed by discussions of power in creation narratives and God's speeches in Job, and end with a discussion of dialogism and its possible existential implications for the text.