The Book of Job is an easy read based on a literal interpretation. But its theology is quite disconcerting.
This is because its heart or its core message is that Christians must keep faith with their God despite suffering, illness, and pain, which an omnipotent God, i.e., the Christian God, is supposed to be able to ward off or cure.
Theodicy is the defense of God’s goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil.
The Book of Job does not provide an answer to the dilemma posed in Job, as the peculiar facts there were that Job suffered losses to his wealth and death to his children because the omnipotent God allowed Satan to do his evil deeds to Job to ‘test’ Job’s faith in his God.
So, is theodicy a valid explanation and a viable theology?
In his anthology of writings, Maybe a Swan Song, 2025, Peter Ellinger, who is a retired banking law professor from the National University of Singapore, has included his very interesting and learned article titled “Job: A Reassessment.”
Peter concluded, “The final message of this original work is clear: the theodicy issue remains unsolved.” (See p. 197).
Nor did Peter provide an answer.
LWH, Easter, 5 April 2026.