Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 85:2 (Fall 2023)
Article: Text And Context: Joseph Caryl’s Practical Observations On Job As A Biblical Response To The English Civil War
Author: Josaias C. Ribeiro, Jr.

Text And Context: Joseph Caryl’s Practical Observations On Job As A Biblical Response To The English Civil War

Josaias C. Ribeiro Jr.

The present dissertation examines the life and thought of Puritan minister Joseph Caryl (1602–1673) through an examination of his Practical Observations on Job. This commentary on the biblical book of Job was preached and published during twenty-four years of the seventeenth century, while England, Ireland, and Scotland faced political change and brutal conflicts. The research aims to present Joseph Caryl on his own terms, as a preacher and expositor of the Bible, correcting common views that emphasize his role as a political player and social commentator. The dissertation seeks to answer the question, What directed his sermons: the biblical text or his social context? The conclusion is that Caryl was moved not by his secular commitments, but by profound religious convictions, like many of his Puritan contemporaries. This work examines the thought of this Westminster divine as presented in his commentary on Job, presenting an overview of his teaching and stimulating new discussions on Caryl’s theology in doctrine and practice.