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Pessimist! Hedonist! Skeptic! Fatalist! Scholars have used these and a variety of other pejoratives to describe Qoheleth, the author of the book of Ecclesiastes. But are these monikers fair assessments of this formative book of the Hebrew wisdom tradition? Brian Neil Peterson challenges this dominant scholarly perspective by arguing that Qohelethâs message is more optimistic than it appears. He insists that Qohelethâa realist who recognizes that the world is broken due to the Fall in Genesis 3âis instructing his readers to live life to the fullest in the fear of God despite the presence of injustice, oppression, and futility experienced on a daily basis. Due to the fleeting nature of life, Qoheleth offers hope to his readers and urges them to put God first and enjoy Godâs good gifts, not as a destination in life, but rather as part of oneâs earthly journey. |
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