What is it about?
This looks at the social context of Job as a patriarchal figure or patron in a dyadic society as inferred in the Job Prologue and Job 29-31. It is his ethics as a just judge within this context which is examined. It is found wanting in his treatment of the poor and subaltern and this may in fact reflect a Prophetic satirical norm as opposed to the social ethics Job himself attests to (Job 29-31).
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Why is it important?
This is one of the few examinations of honour/ shame ethics in the Hebrew Bible at the time. While honour and shame have been closely examined in the New Testament (e.g. Malina, Neyrey) for some time, this perspective, and moreover its ethical import, has largely been neglected in the study of the Hebrew Bible.
Perspectives
Just a new perspective on Job when the theodicial / wisdom tradition/ retributive justice approaches were looking very tired.
Mr. Geoffrey John Aimers
University of Otago
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Rhetoric of Social Conscience in the Book of Job, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, December 2000, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/030908920002509106.
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