The Queering of Job: Part 1

January 1, 2006

I should probably take a moment to explain the title, “The Queering of Job”, which actually says more about me than about anyone else since between the character of Job, the writer of Job, and myself, there’s only one known queer and that happens to be me.

Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, none of us comes to the Bible as an unbiased reader. We read the Bible through lenses that reflect everything that has shaped who we are and how we view the world. This means that every interpretation of the Bible is subjective, being influenced by preexisting views, prejudices, priorities, and convictions developed out of our social location. Ten people read the same passage of Scripture and ten different interpretations are uncovered. In every instance the words of the text might be the same, but the lenses that shape meaning from the words are as different as the people themselves. In recognizing that social location plays a major role in Biblical interpretation we are now seeing the development of various theological approaches including liberation, feminist, conservative and queer theology.

When I read the Bible I read it from my social location as a Caucasian, upper-middle class, evangelical Christian gay woman living in America. Each one of those factors, plus a host of others, including the home in which I was raised, the church I attended, the academic studies I pursued, and an accumulation of life experiences have impacted profoundly upon the meaning I find in Scripture. There are times when I might not be consciously aware of how my social location is influencing my interpretation of a text or I might with deliberate intention bring one aspect to the forefront to find particular meaning, leading to such questions as “How does being located within Christianity impact my understanding of Old Testament prophecy?”, “As a woman what special questions and concerns do I bring to the story of Hagar?”, and “As someone living in a country of material abundance how do I interpret the words of Jesus to the rich man instructing him to give up everything to the poor to follow him?” It must also be remembered that the writers of the Biblical texts were also influenced by their social location.

So what has any of this got to do with “the queering of Job?” Quite a bit actually. I recently took a seminary course on the book of Job and in the process I discovered a similarity between Job’s story and my own of the past ten years, not only as a gay woman but as someone who has moved from conservative Christianity to a more liberal position within the Christian faith. I began to fill up the textbooks I was reading for the course with yellow highlighted passages with “GLBT” and “that’s my story!” jotted in the margins. In Job’s words I heard words I had once dared to speak in the midst of my own pain and confusion. In the judgment of his friends I was reminded of those who had judged me. As I followed Job’s struggle to make sense of his suffering in light of a traditional theology that contradicted his experience, I relived the clash between my conservative Christian faith and what I was encountering in my life as a lesbian. And when Job was at last vindicated by God I cheered for both Job and myself. That’s what I mean by “queering Job.” I read the story from my social location as a lesbian Christian and found places of connection between my experience and the experience of Job. Many who have studied Job believe this was the Joban writers intention; to create someone who could stand in place of us all, and through his story remind us of our own. In this way, the writer could challenge us to grapple with the same questions and uncertainties in our lives that plagued Job in the midst of his experience.

One thing that can be said for certain; the writer of Job was intent on raising hard questions while showing no interest in providing solutions. Job is a book of questions and in the closing words we’re left still puzzling over what the answers might be. And then again, perhaps what the story of Job is suggesting is that rather than spending our lives in search of answers we need to learn to live within the tension those questions create in our lives, the tension that exists when one’s life doesn’t match what one has been taught. Certainly we can relate to that and it makes me wonder, is the goal of life to find a way to live it out harmoniously and free of strife or is there room for dissonance and conflict? Must everything match up and when it doesn’t am I willing to struggle with the tension or do I avoid dealing with those areas of my life or those things I see in the world that don’t make sense in light of the theology to which I cling? See…we haven’t even jumped into the pages of Job and already the questions have begun!

My intention isn’t to provide an in-depth study or a critical interpretation but rather to offer up a personal reflection in a specific area of the book of Job. If you’re interested in a more academic look at Job focusing on larger themes such as suffering here’s a suggested bibliography for you to look over including books from the course I took as well as a couple of personal favorites.

I’m going to be presenting the story of Job in three parts;

Part 2: Job’s Orientation, Job 1-2
Part 3: Job’s Disorientation, Job 3-41
Part 4: Job’s Reorientation, Job 42

And no, I’m not talking about Job’s sexual orientation! That’s wishful thinking on your part. What orientation refers to here is Job’s theological orientation and if that doesn’t make sense to you now it will soon enough. Each of these three sections will include an overview of Job’s story followed by personal reflections from my own life. I hope that in providing this personal look at Job as a lesbian Christian you will be encouraged to engage the Bible through your own unique lens. Who knows…you just might find yourself queering Esther, Jeremiah or Jesus!

Before you go any further, please take a few minutes to read the summary on the book of Job.
While it’s a rather lengthy overview of the book of Job it provides a critical backdrop for the rest of what I will be sharing with you. Naturally, it would be great for you to take the time to read through the book of Job on your own!

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Posted in Queering the Bible