LONGMAN, TREMPER III — Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries

Malden, Blackwell, 2007. 314 pp. Handwritten name on titlepage. Else clean and fine. Hardcover with dustjacket. Kohelet. "A rich tour down many significant streams of Western interpretation of this fascinating biblical book ... Heartily recommended, without reservation." Bible and Critical Theory" "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 "The Bible's boldest dissonant voice, often muted in the interpretations of theologians, rings out clearly when amplified by the candid commentaries of such eclectic literary masters as Bunyan, Voltaire, Thackeray, and T.S. Eliot. Chr