Job (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture) [Hardcover]

Manlio Simonetti (Editor), Marco Conti (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture | Publication Date: May 15, 2006

The book of Job presents its readers with a profound drama concerning innocent suffering. Such honest, forthright wrestling with evil and the silence of God has intrigued a wide range of readers, both religious and nonreligious. Surprisingly, the earliest fathers showed little interest in the book of Job. Not until Origen in the early third century is there much evidence of any systematic treatment of the book, and most of Origen's treatment is known to us only from the catenae. More intense interest came at the end of the fourth century and the beginning of the fifth. The excerpts in this collection focus on systematic treatment. Among Greek texts are those from Origen, Didymus the Blind, Julian the Arian, John Chrysostom, Hesychius of Jerusalem and Olympiodorus. Among Latin sources we find Julian of Eclanum, Philip the Priest and Gregory the Great. Among Syriac sources we find Ephrem the Syrian and Isho‘dad of Merv, some of whose work is made available here for the first time in English. In store for readers of this volume is once again a great feast of wisdom from the ancient resources of the church.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 281 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (May 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830814760
• ISBN-13: 978-0830814763
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,040,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas C. Oden (Ph.D., Yale University) recently retired as Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology at The Theological School of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. He is general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and author of numerous theological works, including a three-volume systematic theology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading for Every Christian, April 12, 2008

By 

Paul T. McCain "Paul T. McCain" (St. Louis, Missouri) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Job (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture) (Hardcover)

The early church fathers offer a rich wealth of thought and reflection on the text of the Scriptures.

This series has established itself as essential reading. It offers a manageable overview of the thought of the Early Church Fathers.

Of course, decisions about what to provide for readers is subjective, but the Ancient Christian Commentary offers an excellent roadmap into the world of thought of the fathers of the early church.

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable guide to Job's timeless condition., May 26, 2010

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Scott George McCombe (UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Job (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture) (Hardcover)

The immense popularity and recognition of the book of Job is far from surprising considering the central themes are universal, in some way affecting ever every individual that has walked on the face of the earth. Indeed, the Gentile ethnicity of Job amongst the Hebrew Prophets makes the universality of this book all the more striking. The sudden loss of joy and certain security to be replaced with agony and the `dark night of the soul' is certainly identifiable--to a greater or lesser extent--for all men. Suffering is the human condition that acts as a uniting bond to our ancestors and future descendents.

For this reason it can be argued that the book of Job stands out from other Biblical books in that it can never be impacted or `updated` by modern scholarship to the same degree. The topic: the relationship between man, God and suffering, is essentially timeless and that is why it is the `Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture' provides such a fascinating insight for the modern reader into the book of Job.

Relying primarily upon the Church Fathers, with especially voluminous contributions from the prodigious Gregory the Great, Chrysostom and Hesychius of Jerusalem, this Commentary progresses through the chapters and verses of Job, allowing the ancient scholars to dissect and explain the text in their own manner. Other relevant sources from this era are also applied and one is able sense a genuine `feel' for how the earliest of Christians approached this difficult book. This differs strikingly from most commentaries which are usually authored by one scholar who discusses the text in a steady flow, whereas the reader of this will find a shaky flow and lack of coherence. This is no flaw in a work of this kind, as it permits the reader to compare different snippets of wisdom from various authorities on a small number of verses, as well as to stay focussed on the essential points of the text and no be distracted by the mundane tangents that abound too often in commentaries.

Overall, this is an invaluable commentary for anyone who wishes to approach the book of Job either in a scholarly fashion or merely to gain deeper appreciation for this familiar yet always distant section of Scripture.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bible Study, June 5, 2009

By 

Emil G. Bishay MD "Bible Lover" (Long Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Job (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture) (Hardcover)

All books of "Ancient Christian Commentary on Scriptures" series are of the most indispensible source for the serious Bible researcher.