Description
Book SynopsisPessimist! Hedonist! Skeptic! Fatalist! Scholars have used these and a variety of other pejoratives to describe Qoheleth, the author of the book of Ecclesiastes. But are these monikers fair assessments of this formative book of the Hebrew wisdom tradition? Brian Neil Peterson challenges this dominant scholarly perspective by arguing that Qoheleth’s message is more optimistic than is often proposed. He insists that Qoheleth—a realist who recognizes that the world is broken due to the Fall of Genesis 3—is instructing his readers to live life to the fullest in the fear of God despite the presence of injustice, oppression, and futility experienced on a daily basis. Due to the fleeting nature of life, Qoheleth offers hope to his readers and urges them to put God first and enjoy God’s good gifts, not as a destination in life, but rather as part of one’s earthly journey.
Table of ContentsChapter 1 An Introduction to the Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 2 Qoheleth’s Reflections on Genesis Chapter 3 Life is a Fleeting Breath in a Broken World (Eccl 1:1–11) Chapter 4 Qoheleth’s Experiments: Journey vs. Destination (Eccl 1:12—2:26) Chapter 5 The Centrality of God in Qoheleth’s Worldview: Part 1 (Eccl 3–4) Chapter 6 The Centrality of God in Qoheleth’s Worldview: Part 2 (Eccl 5–6) Chapter 7 Qoheleth’s Push for Wisdom over Folly: Part 1 (Eccl 7–8) Chapter 8 Qoheleth’s Push for Wisdom over Folly: Part 2 (Eccl 9–10) Chapter 9 Qoheleth’s Conclusion: Enjoy Life but Fear God (Eccl 11–12) Chapter 10 Qoheleth in Light of the Biblical Wisdom Tradition
