BHI 568 Faith and Suffering
The attempt to understand human suffering has played an essential part in the writings of the great Jewish thinkers. Primarily the discussion has revolved around the seeming contradiction between belief in an omnipotent, just, and compassionate God and a God who allows his creations to suffer. In the Jewish tradition consideration of suffering often masks discussions of the relationship between the people of Israel and their God. The Hebrew Bible offers the first paradigm of this relationship and with it the first extensive discussion of suffering the Book of Job. Thoughts and ideas about suffering have been presented through analysis of and commentary on the biblical book of Job. This course presents the ways in which the Jewish tradition has confronted human suffering and particularly how these confrontations have been portrayed in interpretations of and commentaries on the book of Job.