Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries

Informationen zum Autor Eric S. Christianson is an independent scholar living in the UK. He is author of A Time to Tell: Narrative Strategies in Ecclesiastes (1988) and co-editor of Cinéma Divinité: Religion, Theology and the Bible in Film (2005), The Lure of the Dark Side: Satan and Western Demonology in Popular Culture (2009) and Holy Terror: Understanding Religion and Violence in Popular Culture (2010). Klappentext Over the centuries, Ecclesiastes has influenced numerous and diverse aspects of life and thought. Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries assesses the effects of the book on the culture of the various times in religious, artistic, and social contexts.* 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* Features engaging and unusual examples from art, music, literature and history: from Thackeray and Orwell, to Salvador Dali's Illustrated Bible, to the inflammatory exposition of Ecclesiastes at the funeral of Queen Mary* Published in the innovative Blackwell Bible Commentaries series; for further information visit the series website at www.bbibcomm.net Zusammenfassung * * 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. Inhaltsverzeichnis Series 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 Cal...

List of contents

Series 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

Report

"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)

Product details

• Authors: Eric S Christianson, Eric S. Christianson, Eric S. (Independent scholar Christianson, Es Christianson, Christianson Eric S.
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 10.04.2012
• EAN: 9780470674918
• ISBN: 978-0-470-67491-8
• No. of pages: 320
• Series: Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries; Wiley Blackwell Bible Commenta
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Christianity; Bibelstudium, Christianity, Bible readings, selections and meditations, Biblical Studies, Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts, Religion & Theology, Religion u. Theologie, Bibelstudien