Jonah and the Human Condition

In the time of a global pandemic that has forced us to rethink our stance on life and death, the question of the human condition has become even more relevant and pertinent. Stuart Lasine, professor of religion at Wichita State University, offers an insightful and engaging probe into the question whether the Hebrew Bible “allow[s] its readers to remain optimistic about their existence in God’s world” (p. xii).The volume is divided into two parts, totaling seven chapters, a conclusion (pp. 114–34), a substantial bibliography (pp. 135–54), and two indexes (pp. 155–65). Part 1 discusses different perspectives on the human condition in the HB focusing on a number of biblical narratives and text bodies that include, as should be expected, Qoheleth, Deut 31, Jonah 1–2, Ps 107, and 2 Kgs 13. The section concludes with a chapter dealing with the idea of reading about death in the biblical narrative where Lasine asks, “Why does the Hebrew Bible generally withhold from readers the most desirable psychological buffer against death anxiety, namely, the prospect of immortality?” (p. 71). Lasine recognizes, though only in a footnote, that some HB texts may actually point to an afterlife, including Dan 12:2 or references in the Psalter (Pss 16:10; 49:16). He concludes part 1 by highlighting the difference between pessimistic resignation (about death and dying) and realistic coping with the unpleasant, but real, fact of our inevitable extinction. In his words: “Reading about death within the safety of the scriptural world can itself act as a buffer against the kind of anxiety which might lessen our ability to cope with life in the world of the Hebrew Bible, a world in which Yahweh’s human children must deal with the often unpredictable psychology of their never-dying—yet emotionally vulnerable—divine Father” (p. 75).Lasine sets out in part 2 to discover the HB’s understanding of the human condition within the context of God’s created world in the story of Jonah. This section contains two chapters followed by a conclusion that seeks to summarize how the HB understands living and dying and the larger human condition. The first chapter of part 2 discusses Jonah as a literary character and considers studies by psychologists regarding the psychological profile of Jonah. Lasine suggests that the 48 verses of the book are not able to offer sufficient data to support “any definitive psychological profile of the prophet, whether complex or simple, idiosyncratic or universal” (p. 79). Instead, the author thinks that a closer look at the narrative (including plot, informational gaps, quoted speeches, intertextual allusions, and so on) make Jonah “uniquely capable of evoking readers’ fundamental fantasies and fears about their condition as human beings” (p. 80). Lasine notes that Jonah’s consistent willingness to expose himself to danger instead of avoiding it needs to be considered by any persuasive psychological study of Jonah (p. 95). He also suggests that attribution theory, alerting the reader to the human tendency to interpret the behavior of other people as a function of character alone, may offer a welcome safeguard against psychological profiles that do not adequately consider the actual context (or plot in the case of a text) that may shape the actions and reactions of a protagonist. Lasine’s suggestion offers a much-needed reality check for any researcher engaging texts, historical facts, and also people. Context represents one of the most significant elements affecting meaning and helping any researcher to get closer to “meaning” or “(authorial) intent.”The second chapter in part 2 discusses the plot of Jonah and sets it in relationship to childhood crises and the perils of adulthood. The author discusses fears of being swallowed and eaten and fantasies of children that involve killing the monster from within. He also considers Jonah as part of ancient hero literature. This is followed by the concluding chapter seeking to summarize the findings of the monograph.Lasine’s study is intriguing and asks questions that more exegetically focused studies generally do not ask. His familiarity and command of relevant research in psychology and child developmental theory are helpful (at least to me, and I cannot claim sufficient expertise to evaluate their significance and vigor). In this, he models an interdisciplinary approach that is admirable though not always as comprehensible for the uninitiated as would be desirable. Ultimately, the reader ends in a place beyond the biblical text. While researchers in biblical studies can and should look beyond their own proverbial fence, the foundational principle of starting from the biblical text instead of adopting a certain hypothesis or theory should remain the point of departure. The question of life and death in God’s world is highly significant and the avenue to find answers by engaging one particular book or character is intriguing. Ultimately, however, it offers only a glimpse of the totality of the material (even though Lasine discusses additional material in part 1) and cannot be representative of the larger body we call the HB. To be sure, Lasine never claims this, but the approach he has chosen does, to a certain degree, determine an outcome that is anchored in psychology and metaphor theory, and not necessarily in exegesis. This critical remark should not distract from the many insights that are worth the reader’s consideration. The author seeks and engages a conversation with contemporary culture and viewpoints represented in modern literature—a task that is often ignored by biblical interpreter. Jonah and the Human Condition offers a unique starting point for engaging an important topic affecting all humanity

Afterlife · Art · Heaven · Hebrew · Immortality · Linguistics · Literature · Narrative · Pessimism · Psychoanalysis · Theology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · History · Philosophy · Psychology