Koichi Namiki, “Theodicy and the Book of Job” (1999)

This paper is likely the finest introduction to "theodicy" ever written in Japanese. In particular, Section 1, "On Theodicy," stands out. From Section 2, “Theodicy in the Work of Professor Masao Sekine,” the discussion becomes more specialized. I began writing a review of it yesterday, but as even the summary portion in Part 1 contains quite sophisticated arguments, I feared an incomplete treatment and decided to suspend the task. For now, I will limit myself to simply promoting the existence of this important article. Anyone interested in Max Weber’s sociology of religion or the "theodicy of suffering" in his "Intermediate Reflections," as well as those focusing on Hans Blumenberg or the theological structure of Modernity, will find this a must-read.

The author, Koichi Namiki, is a distinguished scholar who served as president of the Japan Society for Old Testament Studies for eight years. He has a keen eye for fields beyond theology, such as sociology and literary theory. Upon reading his work, I was struck by the combination of flexibility and intellectual depth. Though challenging to read, it is thoroughly rewarding. Since it is a revised and expanded version of a lecture manuscript, the tone is approachable. However, it embeds precise and high-level discussions throughout, so one must bring considerable intellectual energy to the task.

Koichi Namiki, “Theodicy and the Book of Job” (1999)
(in Old Testament and the Present Age, by Seizo Sekine, Yoshihide Suzuki, and Koichi Namiki, Kyobunkan, 2000)

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. On Theodicy
1. Leibniz’s Theodicy and Kant’s Critique
2. Works on Theodicy
3. Ancient Oriental Urban Civilization and “Job Literature”
4. The Narrative of Job as Driven by Theodical Concern
5. Development of Theodicy in the Greek World
6. Efforts to Formulate Theodicy in the Early Church
7. Modern Theology Inheriting the Reformation’s Critique of Theodicy
8. The People’s Demand for Explanations of Suffering and Religion
9. The Perspective on Theodicy in the Sociology of Religion

2. Theodicy in the Work of Professor Masao Sekine
1. “Rationality in the Old Testament” (1954)
2. “Job and Prometheus” (1959) and “Creation and Salvation in the Book of Job” (1958)
3. “Theodicy in the Old Testament” (1960)
4. “The Logic of God and Theodicy” and “Theodicy as the Intersection of Faith and Logos”

3. The Book of Job as Theodicy
1. The Brilliant Construct of the Job Poet
2. The Origin of the Debate, Escalating Attacks, and the Counter-Critique that Shatters the Arguments
3. “Theodicy as Apologia” among the Friends
4. “Theodicy as Question” in Job
5. Job and God Transcending the Principle of Retribution
6. Anxiety That Remains Even When Evil and Sin Are Separated
7. Encounter with a God Who Commits Himself to the Reality of Evil
8. A God Who Strengthens Human Subjectivity