A trustworthy guide for preaching and teaching on Job For centuries, readers have been drawn to the book of Job because it probes the mysteries of God’s dealings with humanity. But the book can be perplexing, leaving readers with more questions than answers about suffering, comfort, and the character of God. To address this need, Michael C. Legaspi has created a guide that makes the book of Job both intelligible and useful for believers. Legaspi offers a fresh perspective that goes beyond moralistic tropes and also avoids standard philosophical interpretations that diminish Job’s experiences. Instead, Legaspi treats the book of Job as a coherent narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, and shows how it aligns with larger scriptural patterns. Most importantly, he helps readers see how the book fits squarely within a traditional understanding of spiritual formation. Whether preparing sermons or leading Bible studies, pastors and teachers will find this accessible commentary equips them to make Job genuinely useful for their congregations.  For anyone who has struggled to understand the book of Job and apply it to everyday life, Legaspi’s clear-eyed guide will be a welcome resource. “This is a beautiful commentary on the literary character and theological depth of the book of Job. It is by far the best modern treatment that I have read. Legaspi manages to read the book in an engaging yet sophisticated manner. I particularly like the fact that he retains a healthy respect for the ‘otherness’ of its ancient origins while at the same time he enables the reader to see its relevance for contemporary religious life. This is a book I will return to often in my pursuit of biblical wisdom.” ― Gary A. Anderson , Hesburgh Professor Emeritus of Catholic Thought, University of Notre Dame “In a series that emphasizes scriptural reading for faith formation, Legaspi’s commentary on Job shines out as a vital and rich resource, focusing on the book’s profound theological questions about identity, suffering, and divine justice. Legaspi extends his treatment to include retellings of the book across history and art, thus deepening engagement with the Job story and drawing out the many-sided character of Job himself. Job is both righteous and defiant, a philosopher and a mystic, and his spiritual journey aligns with asceticism and the Christian mystical tradition. Legaspi’s commentary is lively and transformative―a must read for anyone seeking to engage seriously with the book of Job.” ― Katharine J. Dell , professor of Old Testament Literature and Theology, University of Cambridge “Legaspi wonderfully illuminates the book of Job itself and also draws out rich resonances with the rest of Scripture and with Christian tradition. This is an exceptional commentary: intellectually rigorous, always lucid, and both morally and spiritually searching.” ― Walter R. W. Moberly , professor emeritus of biblical interpretation and theology, Durham University “Michael Legaspi, well known for his erudition and insight, here brings his considerable powers to bear on that perennial classic, the book of Job. His reading sees Job as a mystic, as an ascetic―transformed and perfected in his trials―even as a monk, sitting on the dung heap, which, in this perspective, is ‘a kind of open-air monastic cell.’ Legaspi’s reading is fresh, but more importantly, wise, attending to all parts of the book in equal measure as an integrated whole. Most important of all, here is an interpretation that is transformative for the life of faith. A perfect addition to the CCF series.”  ― Brent A. Strawn , D. Moody Smith Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and Professor of Law, Duke University  “This is theological exegesis at its best! Michael Legaspi combines deep theological reflection with a careful reading of one of the Bible’s most difficult books. A must-read commentary for the faithful reader who is curious about the theological complexities of the book of Job.” ― Matthias Henze , Isla Carroll and Percy E. Turner Professor of Biblical Studies, Rice University  “Michael Legaspi has written a masterful and beautiful commentary on one the most challenging books of the Bible. Legaspi’s commentary belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in delving deeper into the book of Job. Taking into account the rich Jewish and Christian interpretive traditions on Job, Legaspi walks through the text paying careful attention to every detail. Legaspi’s insightful and close reading of the text of Job reveals Job as a model ascetic, in some ways serving as a guide in the spiritual life through his own spiritual transformation that results from his immense suffering and later encounter with God. Legaspi’s commentary is one of the few that makes sense of the beginning, the lengthy middle, and the end of Job as a coherent spiritual narrative. In the end, we can recognize Job as, in some sense, a type pointing to Jesus, and thus, a point of reference for every Christian as well. R