Three knights of faith on Job's suffering and its defeat. Issue 4 (20th October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Verbin, N.
• Is Part Of: International journal of philosophy and theology. Volume 78:Issue 4/5(2017)
• Page Start: 382
• Page End: 395
• Publication Date: 2017-10-20
• Subjects: Maimonides -- Kierkegaard -- faith -- love -- trust -- protest -- forgiveness -- problem of evil -- Job; Philosophy and religion -- Periodicals; 230
• DOI: 10.1080/21692327.2017.1284606
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-2327

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The paper explores the manners in which suffering, both natural and moral suffering, is understood and defeated in the lives of different 'knights of faith, ' who emerge in 'conversation' with the book of Job. I begin with Maimonides' Job who emerges as a 'knight of wisdom'; it is through wisdom that his suffering is defeated, dissolving into mere pain. I proceed with Kierkegaard's Job, who emerges as a 'knight of loving trust, ' who defeats suffering by seeing it as a divine gift, and by obediently and lovingly accepting it as such. Through his loving trust, suffering transforms into blessedness and joy, without diminishing or disappearing, a transformation referred to as a 'miracle' by Kierkegaard. I end with my own Hasidic-inspired Job, whom I portray as a 'knight of protest, ' who defeats what he takes to be divine abuse by protesting against it, forgiving God while refusing to be reconciled with Him. I argue that it is by paying attention to these diverse Jobs that the complex nature of faith can be elucidated. Moreover, I argue that all three Jobs, despite their differences, may be embraced, both from a philosophically descriptive perspective as well as from a religiously committed one.