Encountering Ecclesiastes: A Book for Our Time

by James Limburg

Overview

The book of Ecclesiastes speaks eloquently to the uncertainties and anxieties that people have experienced through the centuries. James Limburg brings this ancient book to life for readers in our probing, questioning twenty-first-century times. He illuminates the contemporary existential themes in Ecclesiastes — the quest for meaning in life, the incompleteness of our knowledge, the place of work in human lives, and the need to discover God amid life's uncertainties. A fresh, relevant discussion, arising from Limburg's extensive teaching experience, Encountering Ecclesiastes is ideal for any reader seeking to understand the timeless wisdom of Ecclesiastes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802830470
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	06/19/2006
Pages:	155
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.42(d)

About the Author

James Limburg (1935–2021) was professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. He authored more than a dozen books, including Find Yourself in the Psalms and the Westminster Bible Companion volume on Psalms.

Editorial Reviews

Sojourners
"Encountering Ecclesiastes, by James Limburg. It's perhaps among the more gloomy books of the Bible — indeed, one writer Limburg cites says Ecclesiastes has 'the smell of the tomb about it' — but Limburg is refreshingly direct and honest. . . He opens Ecclesiastes' wisdom to those of us who find ourselves chasing the wind, wondering if all is really vanity after all."
 
Christian Century
"A good choice for an adult Bible study group."
 
Walter Brueggemann
— Columbia Theological Seminary
"The book of Ecclesiastes requires an interpreter who is well grounded in tradition, alert to the cranky realities of life, able to sit honestly in the darkness, free to believe against all the data of dailyness, and artistic enough to render the mundane in a way that compels. James Limburg is just such an interpreter. . . His book is as timely and summoning as is Ecclesiastes itself"
 
Rabbi Barry D. Cytron
— University of St. Thomas
"Encountering Ecclesiastes is a learned, lovely, and loving introduction to one of the most captivating books of the Bible. How fortunate we readers are to have the skilled guidance of James Limburg, with his wide reading, keen attention to language, and obvious reverence for this great and profound scroll of the Bible."
 
Patrick Miller
— Princeton Theological Seminary
"In Encountering Ecclesiastes — not your typical commentary — James Limburg places this book of wisdom in conversation with many voices, living and dead, from Pete Seeger to Dietrich Bonhoeffer to Limburg's own bored and questioning students. Ecclesiastes comes to life in accessible and sometimes moving ways as Limburg explores its echoes through the halls of Scripture, moving the book from its often isolated place to stand fully with Moses and the prophets as God's word to us about how to live and how to trust."
 
Expository Times
"Adeptly and expertly Limburg re-introduces the fascinating themes of Ecclesiastes to modern readers and shows its long, indeed venerable, tradition of interpretation and influence."
 
Living Church
"An enjoyable and very accessible introduction to one of the Old Testament's less popular books."
 
Theological Book Review
"[Encountering Ecclesiastes] is readable and uncluttered, and wears its learning lightly. Limburg has taught Ecclesiastes for many years and it shows: many memorable illustrations and anecdotes speed the reader on their way."

From the Publisher