The open-access journal “Terminus” invites submissions for a special issue on the reception of the Book of Job in medieval and early modern literature. We welcome contributions from scholars in literature, theology, history, and related disciplines.
Scope and Themes
Saint Jerome compares the Book of Job to an eel, stating “If you close your hand to hold an eel or a small muraena, the more you squeeze it, the sooner it escapes.” The Book of Job's historical reception exemplifies this metaphor's accuracy. The list of reinterpretations continually expands, and each historical period radically reconstructs its meaning anew. Carol A. Newsom suggests that previous readings are merely heuristic fictions, employed to envision the author, motifs, and the overall significance of the story, which she describes as a “complex cultural conversation about the moral nature of reality.”
At the beginning of the 21st century, we can still observe ongoing exegetical efforts and a renewed interest in the reception of this Hebrew text during the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. Scholars argue that the biblical figure of Job has been consistently reconstructed in response to evolving historical issues and the personalities of interpreters. In consequence, the image of Job has undergone significant transformation. In the earliest receptions, as seen in the apocryphal Testament of Job and the Epistle of James, Job is primarily an embodiment of ‘patience.’ Gregory the Great, author of the Moralia, one of the most influential commentaries on Job, presents him as a figure representing the hidden harmony of the world. Thomas Aquinas asserts that Job is “perfect in every virtue,” despite God afflicting him “with an inequitable judgment.” For Luther, Job embodies the duality of being both righteous and a sinner, simul justus, simul peccator.
However, the theological and philosophical sense of the book cannot be separated from its literary form. The Italian playwright and poet Leone Judah de Sommi (1525–1590) considered the book “the oldest tragedy in the world, predating Greek tragedy.” In doing so, he continues a long-standing tradition that originates from the ideas of Theodore of Mopsuestia (4th century C.E.). The book has also been regarded as a philosophical dialogue and was compared to the Platonic model, while John Milton saw the text as the archetype of an epic poem. The elaborate and complex poetics of this Hebrew literary masterpiece, including its concentric structure, generic and stylistic diversity, and “metaphor competitions” (Lance R. Hawley, 2018), have been subjects of extensive study and sources of inspiration throughout the ages.
The Book of Job has long been a source of profound theological and literary inspiration. Its themes of suffering, faith, and divine justice resonated across centuries and influenced various literary works in medieval and early modern Europe.
We are particularly interested in papers that explore:
Submission Guidelines
We welcome submissions of abstracts and full papers for consideration. Submissions should include:
Important Dates