From a close reading of both the Book of Job and Deuteronomy I would propose that the former might be intentionally responding to and challenging the prevailing Deuteronomic doctrine of divine retributive justice as it is expressed clearly in the notion of blessings and curses in Deuteronomy (11:26-28; chs. 27-28). It is also claimed that in order not to offend or upset the mainstream theological position too much, the author of Job chooses to adopt another theological position, the principle of divine providence, to balance the radical nature of his/her project. The two theological themes intertwine and they address different circles of audience, the orthodox and the liberal. This may provide an explanation for the existence of the seemingly self-contradictory elements in the Book of Job. / I will place the Book of Job in the post-exilic historical background and relate it to the contemporary intellectual context, that is, the Deuteronomistic historical writings (hereafter DH). While fully acknowledging the scholarly hypothetical nature of the DH, it can nevertheless be observed that the theme of "a just divine retribution" (Noth) works through the writings of the Deuteronomists. It is in this sense that some scholars label the DH as "a theodicy" (Romer), i.e., a defense of divine justice in the face of the national tragedy of exile. Since the Book of Job also seriously questions the validity of divine retributive justice it seems quite reasonable to read it in the light of the Deuteronomistic works and their theological doctrines. / Many biblical scholars have stated, the Book of Job relates to the issue of the validity/applicability of divine justice (Jastrow, Crenshaw, etc.). There are others who disagree and they consider the book offers a strong confirmation of divine providence (e.g. Andersen). This is especially true with YHWH speeches (38:1-40:2; 40:6-41:34) and the so called "happy ending" (42:7-17). Though most scholars would acknowledge the complexity and even contradictions in the book and observe that there is more than one single theme, few would present competing ideas as parallel discourses of comparable significance. To my view, the dimensions of questioning the validity of divine justice and the confirmation of divine providence are juxtaposed in the book. They come into conflicts and contradict one with the other. What the present author intends to do in this thesis is to explore how the two discourses work together in creative tension in the book and why the two seemingly competing theological claims are employed by the author in his/her construction of the text. / This dissertation will employ multiple approaches. Classical theory of poetry, contemporary drama theory, and Intertextual reading strategies will be adopted in different stages of its argument. Basically, the literary-critical method will be relied on in the analysis of the text of Job. / 張纓. / Adviser: Archie C. C. Lee. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: A, page: 0638. / Thesis (doctoral)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-288). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Zhang Ying.

Perhaps the most perplexing issue in Psalm 82 is its obvious cultic and polytheistic background with its source remains elusive to scholars. Consequently, to grasp the main intention and purpose of this psalm becomes an equally baffling exercise. This thesis will take up these two pertinent issues. It attempts to take the psalm as a whole. This paper will put forward two arguments. First, the genre of 'cultic prophetic psalm' is not only the most helpful, but also the most befitting approach to grasp its holistic intent. Second, Psalm 82 is seminal in developing a new cultic motif on "righteous judgment" from the cult of the "living and dying god" of the ancient traditions. / Psalm 82---a text notorious of its brevity, yet profound complex concepts is the subject of this thesis. Since the last two extensive works which were published in the late 1960s by James. S. Ackerman and Hans-Winfried Jungling, there are several other pieces which develop from these two contributions but concentrate only on some aspects of the psalm, and not a comprehensive study of it. It is therefore more appropriate and necessary than ever, that at the beginning of the 21st century when the academia on the ancient Near East has flourished in leaps and bounds, a re-examination of the scholarship on Psalm 82 will be fruitful venture. / Therefore, I shall present my thesis as follows: In chapter one, I shall review the past research results on Psalm 82. This sets up a starting point for the thesis and raises the main issues for discussion. It is proposed that Psalm 82 is a cultic prophetic psalm, which is performed in the temple expressing the Israelite belief of a just God. It is proposed that Psalm 82 is a cultic prophetic psalm with performance in the temple and expresses the Israelite belief in a Just God. In chapter two, I shall analyze and present the contents and the structure of the whole cultic drama. It will attempt to prove that the core content of this psalm is 'Belief in the Just God' and that this content is both inherited and developed from the motif of the "living and dying god" in the ancient traditions. Hence, a new cultic motif is formed that the just God of Israel judges the unjust gods and pronounces a death sentence. In chapter three, the whole psalm is submitted under the framework of a cultic drama, and I will attempt to analyze the words and the complex concepts in the psalm. These include "the council of gods", the relationship between "God" and the "gods", the righteous God of Israel judging the unjust gods, the meaning of "the poor", "orphans", "widows" and "the wicked", the usage of the image and meaning of both "the foundations of the earth" and "the shaking of the foundations of the earth", the function of "the nations" and "inheritance", and the significance of the death of the gods. Finally in chapter four, after comparing the concepts and usage of words mentioned above with the myths and stories of the ancient Canaanites. I shall further verify that Psalm 82 mainly absorbs and uses the mythical and religious elements of ancient Canaan. The psalm expresses the firm belief in the just God Yahweh, albeit in a polytheistic setting. By using the idea of "the council of gods" in the ancient Near East, especially in Canaan, the psalm integrates many mythical elements and ideas of the ancient religious traditions, and finally develops a new cultic motif on "righteous judgment" from the cult of the "living and dying god" of the ancient traditions. / 徐雪梅. / Adviser: Archie C. C. Lee. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-08, Section: A, page: 3183. / Thesis (doctoral)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 235-253). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Xu Xuemei.