Description
Book Synopsis* * Presents an innovative, reception history approach to the study of Ecclesiastes, by tracing its influence on religion, culture, literature, art and social thought. * Explores a fascinating range of Jewish and Christian readings.
Trade Review"Christianson's study of Ecclesiastes's cultural impact is rich and rewarding. [He] beautifully exposits the material that he treats, and suggests by brief reference some other avenues of fruitful exploration. In these ways,
Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries serves both as an excellent treatment of the title theme and a good model for other reception histories to follow. The book may be heartily recommended, without reservation." (
Bible and Critical Theory)
"A fundamental resource on biblical interpretation, especially in the modern world, this book is a winner." (International Review of Biblical Studies)
"Students of Ecclesiastes have been waiting a good many years for a book like Eric Christianson's study … Not since the time of Christian David Ginsburg's magisterial commentary Coheleth (commonly called the Book of Ecclesiastes) in 1861 has there been such a thorough survey of the reception history of Ecclesiastes." (Lutheran Theological Journal)
"With the text's many difficult and provocative passages, the reception history of Ecclesiastes is always going to be more interesting than that of many biblical books, and in this erudite but entertaining commentary, Christianson takes full advantage of the rich materials at his disposal...The introduction and commentary proper cover many topics, from patristic and rabbinic exegesis through to modern science-fiction, with numerous stops on the way...Christianson is a genial guide throughout, and his own enthusiasm is clear; the book is very well written and accessible, moreover, so that it should appeal to both specialists and a wider public...Overall an excellent book." (Society for Old Testament Study Book List)
Table of ContentsSeries Editors’ Preface xi
Preface xiii
Preface to the Paperback Edition xvii
Testimonia 1
The Vagaries of Interpreting Ecclesiastes 1
Charting a Harsh Terrain 4
Qoheleth the Philosopher 5
Wrought by Melancholy 7
Preacher of Joy 9
True to Life 10
Qoheleth and Christianity 14
Qoheleth and Justice 15
Introduction 17
1 A History of Reception Histories 19
2 Reading Strategies and Lines of Influence 22
Pre-Modern Reading: –1500 23
Early Modern Reading: 1500–1800 40
A. Renaissance and Reform 40
B. Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Verse 51
C. On the Way to Modernity 57
Modern Reading: 1800– 65
A. Literature 65
B. Visual Art, Music and Film 75
C. Comparative Studies 84
Ecclesiastes 1 87
The Life and Death of Solomon the Author: 1:1 et passim 89
A. Alive and Well in Pre-Modernity (–1500) 89
B. Embattled in Early Modernity (1500–1800) 95
C. Dead in Modernity – Solomon’s Ghost (1800–) 96
Vanitas Vanitatum: 1:2 et passim 98
A. Despising the World through Vanitas (–1500) 100
B. Renaissance Vanitas: Despising Jerome and Suspecting the Sciences (1500–1800) 106
C. Literary Vanitas: New Points of Reference (1800–) 125
D. The Breadth of Vanitas 140
The Overture Played Out: 1:3–18 142
Ecclesiastes 2 156
Wrestling with the Test of Pleasure: 2:1–10 157
Understanding Wisdom, Folly and God’s Gifts: 2:11–24 161
Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 164
The Totality of Times 165
Ecclesiastes 3:9–6:12 174
On Fate, Knowledge and Anthropology: 3:9–22 175
On Oppression and the Value of Companionship: 4:1–12 180
On Conducting Oneself in the House of God: 5:1–8 183
On the Possibility of Profi t and Relief from hebel: 5:10–6:12 184
Ecclesiastes 7–8 188
The Curious Values of Wisdom: 7:1–12 189
The Incongruity of Experience and the Inaccessibility of Wisdom: 7:13–29 192
About Wisdom, Power and Authority: 8:1–17 201
Ecclesiastes 9:1–12 206
The Wisdom of Death and Life 207
Ecclesiastes 9:13–11:10 216
Wise Conduct in the Light of Uncertainty: 9:13–11:6 217
The Final Call to Joy: 11:7–10 221
Ecclesiastes 12:1–7 225
The Rule of Allegory 227
Beyond Allegory 232
Ecclesiastes 12:8–14 247
The Final Word 249
A Hermeneutical Postscript 256
Understanding the Pervasive Appeal of Qoheleth 256
The Exegetical ‘Fidelity’ of Ecclesiastes’ Reception History 259
How Might This Reception History Inform the Discipline? 261
Bibliography 264
Primary Sources 265
1. Pre-1500 265
2. 1500–1800 267
3. Post-1800 271
Reception Histories of Ecclesiastes 275
1. Jewish and Christian 275
2. Surveys of Academic Approaches 280
3. Literature 281
Specialist Comparative Studies 283
Ecclesiastes General Secondary Sources 285
Other Secondary Sources 291
Appendix – The Quotable Qoheleth: Ecclesiastes in Popular Discourse 296
List of Illustrations 300
Acknowledgements 302
Name Index 303
Subject Index 312
