‘You are all quacks; if only you would shut up’ (Job 13.4b–5a): Sin and illness in the sacred and the secular, the ancient and the modern

Abstract

This article focuses on the theme of illness within the dialogue between the character of Job and his ‘friends’ (Job 3—37). It looks specifically at the different explanatory models used by the characters to interpret and contextualize Job’s condition and explores language of sin and blame in illness. A key contribution of this article is to highlight the problematic nature of moralizing and searching for meaning during illness and to emphasize the need for greater empathy.