Edward Said, Contrapuntal Hermeneutics and the Book of Job: Power, Subjectivity and Responsibility in Biblical Interpretation

Power and Responsibility in Biblical Interpretation addresses the challenges now facing much biblical interpretation. Incorporating the methodologies of poststructuralism, postcolonialism and liberation theology, the study presents an approach to interpretation that integrates academic and vernacular hermeneutics. This approach is based on the theories of Edward Said, adapting his concept of contrapuntal reading to the interpretation of Job. The book sets this study in the broader context of a survey of current work in the field. The analysis of Job examines the possibilities for dialogue between those interpretations that view suffering as a key theme in the book and those that do not. Interpretations of the book of Job are then compared to the psychology of suffering as experienced in various contexts today. The conclusion argues for pedagogical reform based upon the ethical and interpretive insights of contrapuntal hermeneutics

Alissa Jones Nelson has published on the intersections of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and contemporary sociopolitical issues such as globalization, pedagogy and sexuality as well as the use of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in popular culture