Does the world we inhabit offer us hospitality or indifference? This question is central to the spiri- tual literature of all cultures. In We Find Ourselves Put to the Test James Crooks returns to the Bible’s book of Job to explore the enduring relevance of that question and its philosophical dimensions. Beginning with the puzzle of Job’s famous sto- icism and nihilism in the face of loss, Crooks ex- plores the contradictions of suffering as dramatized in the dialogue between Job and his friends. How is it that the friends’ attempt to com- fort Job with a rational explanation of his misfor- tune devolves seamlessly into victim blaming? How is it that Job’s own renunciation of life at the nadir of his pain converts into an intellectual pa- tience that outlasts the advocates of rational expla- nation? We Find Ourselves Put to the Test gives a portrait of the suffering protagonist looking into the heart of a creation that is, by necessity, both in- different and hospitable. A philosophical exploration of one of the most enigmatic books in the Bible, We Find Ourselves Put to the Test goes beyond critical interpretation and suggests a way of reading the book of Job that is animated by a consideration of the reader’s nar- ratives and communities, and the limits of his or her own understanding. James Crooks teaches philosophy, liberal arts, music, and musical theatre at Bishop’s University. 1 1 M Q U P S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 P H I L O S O P H Y • R E L I G I O U S S T U D I E S We Find Ourselves Put to the Test A Reading of the Book of Job james crooks A philosophical exploration of the question of whether the world we inhabit offers us hospitality or indifference. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S May 2018 978-0-7735-5315-6 $29.95T CDN, $29.95T US, £24.99 cloth 6 x 9 192pp eBook available