McMaster University DigitalCommons@McMaster Open Access Dissertations and Theses Open Dissertations and Theses 1-1-2007 Reading Job: Ricoeur's Textual Theory and the Interpretation of Job David J. H. Beldman Follow this and additional works at:http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations Part of theReligion Commons Recommended Citation Beldman, David J. H., "Reading Job: Ricoeur's Textual Theory and the Interpretation of Job" (2007).Open Access Dissertations and Theses.Paper 5322. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Open Dissertations and Theses at DigitalCommons@McMaster. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@McMaster. For more information, please [email protected]. READING JOB: RICOEUR'S TEXTUAL THEORY AND THE INTERPRETATION OF JOB by David 1. H. Beldman, BA A thesis submitted to the Eaculty of McMaster Divinity College in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts in Christian Studies McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario 2007 M.A. in Christian Studies McMaster Divinity College Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: Reading Job: Ricoeur's Textual Theory and the Interpretation of Job AUTHOR: David J. H. Beldman SUPERVISOR: Dr. Mark J. Boda NUMBER OF PAGES: 193 ii McMASTER DIVINITY COLLEGE Upon the recommendation of an oral examination committee, this thesis-project by David Beldman is hereby accepted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Christian Studies First Reader and Advisor ~seeQ;cr Date: Mo..x dA '" d.OO 7 I III Reading Job: Ricoeur's Textual Theory and the Interpretation of Job David J. H. Beldman McMaster Divinity College M.A. in Christian Studies, 2007 Abstract: Biblical Studies is said to be in a time of crisis. This context requires a clearer understanding of the relationship between philosophical hermeneutics and biblical hermeneutics. Paul Ricoeur is a Christian philosopher who has intelligently articulated this relationship. This thesis offers a description, an evaluation and an application of his textual theory. Ricoeur identified four dimensions oftextuality: (1) the text as a written communication; (2) the text as a structured work; (3) the text as a projection of a world; and (4) the text as a mediation of self-understanding. These dimensions are examined as they related to general hermeneutics (chapter 1), and to biblical hermeneutics (chapter 2). After an evaluation of Ricoeur's theory (chapter 3) each of these dimensions of textual interpretation are applied to the book of Job (chapters 4-7). Although Ricoeur's hermeneutics is not above criticism it does provide a creative way forward in a time of crisis. IV For my family, Elsie, Leah, Luke and Jordyn in recognition of their loving patience and support v Acknowledgements I wish to acknowledge the work and support of a number of people who helped bring this study to completion. Thanks to Elsie whose encouragement and support (as always) has helped me in ways words cannot express, and also to the children who, even if they did not realize it, were patient and supportive in their own ways. Thanks to Professor Mark Boda for graciously supervising the study. His hard work throughout the project and excitement for the topic was inspiring. Also thanks to Professor Steven Studebaker for his role as second reader. Thanks to Professor Craig Bartholomew who planted the seeds of this study when I attended his classes at Redeemer, and who has continued to be a willing conversation partner for these complex issues. Thanks also to Professor Stanley Porter who graciously read and discussed a couple of chapters early in the development of the study, and to the participants of the Theological Research Seminar who listened to and commented on a presentation of chapter one. Thanks to the LORD God for his /:tesed. vi CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 PART ONE: PAUL RICOEUR: PHILOSOPHICAL HERMENEUTICS AND BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS Chapter 1: Ricoeur's Theory of Textuality 1.1 Introduction 8 1.2 The Text as Discourse: From Speaking to Writing 9 1.3 Composition and Codification of the Text: Discourse as a Work 13 1.4 Text as the Projection of a World 17 1.5 Text as the Mediation of Self-Understanding 19 1.6 Hermeneutical Implications 22 1.7 Conclusion 24 Chapter 2: Ricoeur's Theory of Textuality Biblical Hermeneutics 2.1 Introduction 26 2.2 The Bible as Discourse: From Speaking to Writing 27 2.3 The Bible as a Work 29 2.3.1 The Codification or Geme of the Biblical Text 29 2.3.2 The Structure or Composition of the Biblical Text 33 2.3.3 The Style of the Biblical Text 35 2.4 The Bible as the Projection of a World 36 2.5 The Bible as the Mediation of Self-Understanding 39 2.6 Conclusion 41 Chapter 3: An Evaluation of Ricoeur's Textual Theory and Biblical Hermeneutics 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 Commending Ricoeur's Textual Theory 44 3.3 CrlticizingRicoeur's Textual Theory 46 3.4 Conclusion 50 PART 2: READING JOB INTRODUCTION TO READING JOB 51 Chapter 4: Job as Discourse: From Speaking to Writing 4.1 Introduction 58 4.2 Job in Conversation with Israelite Wisdom 62 4.3 Job in Conversation with Torah 66 4.3.1 Job's God 68 4.3.2 Intertextuality Between Job and Torah 72 4.3.3 Epistemology in Wisdom and Torah 74 vii 4.3.4 Reevaluating Job's Religion: A New Proposal 77 4.4 Conclusion 84 Chapter 5: Job as a Work 5.1 Introduction 86 5.2 The Genre of Job 87 5.2.1 Sub-Genres in the Book of Job 87 5.2.2 Generative Classification of the Book as a Whole 88 5.2.3 The Book of Job as Sui Generis 94 5.3 The Structure of Job 95 5.4 The Style of Job 105 5.5 Conclusion 107 Chapter 6: Job as the Projection ofa World 6.1 Introduction 109 6.2 Integrity Established: Job 1:1-6 109 6.3 Integrity Challenged: Job 1:7-2:13 113 6.4 Integrity Shaken: Job 3 126 6.4.1 Job 3:3-10 127 6.4.2 Job 3:11-19 128 6.4.3 Job 3:20-26 129 6.5 Integrity Maintained: Job 4-31 133 6.5.1 Job 4-26 133 6.5.2 Job 27-28 137 6.5.3 Job 29-31 139 6.6 Elihu as Mediator of Job's Integrity?: Job 32-37 142 6.7 Integrity in Perspective: The Speeches of Yahweh (Job 38:1-40:2; 40:6-41:34) 145 6.8 Perspective Broadened: Job's Response (40:3-5; 42:1-6) 150 6.9 Integrity and Reconciliation: Job 42:7-17 152 6.1 0 Conclusion 154 Chapter 7: Job as a Mediation of Self Understanding 7.1 Introduction 156 7.2 Reading Calvin Reading Job 157 7.3 Reading Job Reading Calvin 162 7.4 Job as a Mediation of Self-Understanding 166 7.5 Conclusion 169 CONCLUSION 171 APPENDICES 178 BIBLIOGRAPHY 183 Vlll INTRODUCTION Protests, then, against the postmodern readings of the Bible are likely to be ineffectual. Unless, that is, those who care about serious reading of the gospels set about exploring ways in which to articulate a better epistemology, leading to a better account of what happens when a text is being read, a better account of what happens when a sacred text is being read ... There is a sense ... in which this demands a full theory of language. We need to understand, better than we commonly do, how language works. 1 Biblical studies is in a state of crisis today. The din from the innumerable interpretive approaches vying for a voice is deafening. Many scholars continue to utilize the traditional methods of historical-criticism. However, an excess of methods has emerged in the last half century suggesting that historical criticism's hegemony in the academy is slipping. These approaches have emerged as a reaction and a critique of the modern fa<;ade of objectivity and the atomizing tendencies in critical scholarship. Although there are many aspects of this new literary turn to affirm there is also reason for concern. Moderate literary approaches maintain the integrity of the given form of the text and shift the focus from the world behind the text to the world present in the text. More radical ideological approaches, including deconstruction, and feminist, Marxist, and postcolonial critiques, maintain a posture of extreme suspicion toward the ideology of the text. The real problem for Christian biblical scholars in this context of crisis is not which method to choose from the multitude; moreover, the solution is not to keep doing theological interpretation as though nothing has changed. Rather, what is crucial is a IN. T. Wright, The New Testament and the People a/God (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992),61-63; cited in Craig G. Bartholomew, "Before Babel and After Pentecost: Language, Literature and Biblical Interpretation," in After Pentecost: Language and Biblical Interpretation (eds. Craig Bartholomew, Colin Greene, and Karl Moller; Scripture and Hermeneutics Series 2; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 131.