Description:
Ecclesiastes is a rather wonderful and very ancient book of Wisdom. It should not be read as a cynical and depressing account of life--rather, it's a way of putting life in perspective. The continual refrain that ""all is vanity under the sun,"" does not mean that life here on earth has no value even though death wins out in the end. On the contrary, the writer insists that here and now really does matter. Live in the present, he says, enjoy the actual life you have, it's the only one you've got. Life is meant to be lived ""in its time,"" as given from the hand of God. But you only get it once--no rehearsals! This is a wonderful and very contemporary word of Wisdom!
Endorsements:
""With a pastor's heart for the honest circumstances of life, with the scholar's careful scrutiny of the text, with Kierkegaard as his constant companion, and with the lyric description of a poet, Ray Anderson has given us a clear view of one of the Bible's most misunderstood books. His meditations on Ecclesiastes are explorations not only into God, but also into humanity. With Anderson as your guide, you will know yourself better as you learn the truths spoken by Koheleth, the Preacher. And, you will come to understand the great paradox of faith: the place of weakness is the location of grace."" --Clayton Schmit, Arthur DeKruyter/Christ Church Oak Brook Associate Professor of Preaching, Fuller Theological Seminary
""In this meditation upon the book of Ecclesiastes, Anderson uncovers a wisdom to live life as creatures of dust restless for God, finding joy in the midst of melancholy, all within a remarkable unity of the sacred and the secular. Ecclesiastes represents a biblical tradition that rubs against our desire to systematize God and human personhood, Anderson contends, and presents an alternative way of living that can live with ambiguity and limits, and in doing so, live for God. Here is genuine wisdom the Church desperately hungers for even while it ironically seeks for the busyness and anxiety of 'the purpose driven life.'""
--Christian Kettler, Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Friends University
About the Contributor(s):
RAY S. ANDERSON (1925-2009) was Senior Professor of Theology and Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary where he has taught for more than thirty years. He is the author of more than twenty-five books, including, The Seasons of Hope, Marriage and Family Ministry in a Postmodern Culture, The Soul of Ministry, Ministry on the Fireline, and The Shape of Practical Theology.
