Description
Welcome to Ecclesiastes, one of the most crabby, beautiful, and challenging books in all of scripture! The plainspoken skepticism, raw weariness, and pessimistic outbursts expressed in Ecclesiastes make organised religion uncomfortable. Boiled down, the words from this against-the-grain biblical voice offer an emotionally honest view of the meaning of life. This poet teaches, toughens, and spans the ages to address very 21st-century issues. By giving us permission to admit troubling spiritual moods, Ecclesiastes invites us to grow in wisdom and to accept all of God’s gifts, including doubt and dissatisfaction. Written in a journalistic style, Waddle mixes contemporary reflections with insightful scholarship on Ecclesiastes, especially on the topics of biblical authority, politics, grief, wisdom, and spiritual trends in contemporary society. The 12 chapters parallel the 12 chapters of the biblical text.