September 27 – December 6 Dr. Michael Kogan Written in Jerusalem by a professional sage, or teacher of wisdom in ca. 300 BCE, Job was part of the Wisdom Literature (Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Song of Songs, and several Psalms) produced by Jewish thinkers influenced by Hellenistic thought. This school of writers sought out the meaning of human life in terms unknown in the rest of the Hebrew Bible. Job wrestles with the issues of the suffering of the righteous, whether there are any truly righteous human beings, the nature and character of God, and the justice (or lack of it) that we find in the world. Job can be viewed as the minority report in the Bible, challenging theological and ethical assumptions that run through the rest of the Scriptures. How Job even got accepted as part of the biblical canon is a mystery to many. It is a radical departure from traditional Judaism that forces the reader to question whether any theory of life’s meaning is adequate to explain the complications and contradictions of lived human experience. It is considered by many to be the most profound book in the Bible. This course of lecture and discussion will offer an in-depth reading of this challenging text. Dr. Michael Kogan is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Religion at Montclair State University. Contact Irene Gilbert at irene@kkbe.org to register