The Labor of Job
The Biblical Text as a Parable of Human Labor

In the Old Testament book of Job, the pious Job is made to suffer for no apparent reason. The heart of the story is Job's quest to understand why he must bear, and why God would allow, such misery. This book presents a Marxist interpretation of Job's story.

Negri presents a Marxist interpretation of Job's story. He describes it as a parable of human labour, one that illustrates the impossibility of systems of measure, whether of divine justice (in Job's case) or the value of labour (in the case of late-twentieth-century Marxism). In the foreword, Michael Hardt elaborates on this interpretation. In his commentary, Roland Boer considers Negri's reading of the book of Job in relation to the Bible and biblical exegesis. "The Labor of Job" provides an intriguing and accessible entry into the thought of one of today's most important political philosophers.

Contents
Foreword: Creation beyond Measure
Michael Hardt
Preface to the 2002 Edition
Introduction
1. The Difference of Job
2. Of the Absoluteness of the Contingent
3. The Adversary and the Avenger
4. The Chaos of Being
5. The Dispositif of the Messiah
6. The Constitution of Power
7. Ethics as Creation
Commentary: Negri, Job, and the Bible
Roland Boer Bibliographical Appendix
Index