Job the In-Patient: An Interfaithed Discussion on Depression, Faith, and the Meaning of Suffering

Friday, 4:00pm | Workshop

One of the thornier theological questions surrounding Job is, “why is Job made to suffer?” Has he done something to anger G-d? What exactly is the nature of his transgression? What is the meaning of his suffering?
– We can also look to Job for what it tells us about depression. Whether we view Job’s suffering as physical or as mental, the discussion is the same: is G-d the source of Job’s depression or is Job? Are we to believe that Job has depression because he has sinned or that his faith is weak? Job’s “friends” would seem to think so. Are they right? Or are they just making matters worse?
– Approaching Job from both a Christian and a Jewish perspective, perhaps we can better understand faith, depression, and the role of suffering.

Charles Bretan

Both of my parents were Jewish, but that is not what makes me a Jew. I am a Jew because I choose to be: because I choose to live my life in a Jewish way. I choose to study Torah and to live by its precepts; I choose to keep Shabbat and to follow mitzvot; and I choose to eat toasted bagels with a shmear of cream cheese, lox (not nova), and a nice slice of onion. Born and raised in Miami, I now live in Greensboro, NC with my wife, Gail, and our two sons, Lee and Evan. I am a teacher by trade and by disposition. With degrees in education from the University of Florida and from Nova Southeastern University, I have taught almost everything from composition to scuba diving and from leadership to life saving.