Of Making Blogs There Is No End

Review of Vang and Carter: Telling God's Story

2011-11-30T18:14:00.001-08:00

My book review of
Vang and Carter, Telling God's Story
has been published in Themelios, July 2011, pp 275-276.
http://thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/telling_gods_story_the_biblical_narrative_from_beginning_to_end

The Bible Tells Me So

2011-11-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

I have a chapter in the book

The Bible Tells Me So: Reading the Bible as Scripture, Thomas Jay Oord (editor), Richard P. Thompson (editor). Outskirts Press, 2011.

My chapter is "Preaching the Preacher: The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes" chapter 19.
So far the kindle version has appeared.

Review of Ecclesiastes Lamentations NBBC Stephen J. Bennett

2011-09-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

My commentary has been reviewed by "James".
See the review and preview of the book at the website:
http://www.christianbook.com/ecclesiastes-lamentations-commentary-the-wesleyan-tradition/stephen-bennett/9780834125148/pd/125148?event=BB&bookbag=1&item_code=WW#ask_and_answer

The preview is four pages plus the table of contents.

5 out of 5

Ecclesiastes/ Lamentations: Excellent!

Date:May 4, 2011

James

(read all my reviews)

Location:New City, NY

Age:35-44

Gender:male

Quality:

5 out of 5

Value:

5 out of 5

Meets Expectations:

5 out of 5

Ecclesiastes/Lamentations by Stephen J. Bennett is an insightful scholarly commentary on the books of Ecclesiastes and Lamentations. Bennett helps the reader understand the deeper themes and interpretations of the respective books while bringing the applications of these ancient texts into today’s world. Bennett sets out to “present a viable (and hopefully helpful) interpretation of Ecclesiastes, while also including some of the diversity of interpretation that has gone before.” Dr. Bennett does just that. The section on Lamentations is extremely rich with information and full of impactful and relevant interpretation. This is an excellent work.
The theological themes are clearly defined and Bennett gives much insight to the text. He makes scholarly arguments that place the respective scriptures in their proper time periods and audience through the use of vocabulary and language; he addresses occasion and purpose; social and cultural issues; textual history and composition in a most impressive way. The book lends itself to the reader as a treasure trove as these wisdom books are not always easy to interpret.

I don't want to be rich, I want to be happy

2011-04-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTv24sSNXHc
Raul Midon, "State of Mind"
Ecclesiastes 5:10, Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
Ecclesiastes 4:8, There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.

Ecclesiastes 11:8, However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all.

Grinding in Eccl 12:3-4

2011-03-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

"The grinders are few" (Ecclesiastes 12:3). Are they teeth? Or women grinding grain? I will be presenting a paper on this at the regional Society of Biblical Literature, New Brunswick, New Jersey, March 17, 2011 (3:15 pm). http://sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/2011MARprogram.pdf

Under the sun = above ground

2011-03-12T06:23:00.001-08:00

"Every day above ground is a good one." The message on this church sign resonates with the common phrase in Ecclesiastes, "under the sun" which basically means that live humans are in view, not God and not dead people. It also fits with Qoheleth's repeated advice to enjoy life.

Upcoming conferences...

2010-12-30T11:14:00.000-08:00

Two conferences:
"The Bible Tells Me So" at NNU in Idaho, Feb 10-12, 2011; and
"The City in the Hebrew Bible" at Cambridge University, April 6-8, 2011.
Dr. Bennett will be presenting papers at both, and each conference will publish a book of papers presented.

Ecclesiastes exhibition, Royal Academy

2010-11-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

an exhibition currently (and until 9th January) showing at London's
Royal Academy: No New Thing Under the Sun. The blurb says: "Based on
themes including time, transience, human vanity, death and the grandeur
of life, the exhibition will combine a number of pieces from the Royal
Academy collection with work by contemporary artists. Visitors will be
able to see drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, sculptures and
other works that offer a response to Ecclesiastes and evoke the book's
mood."

http://royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/the-tennant-gallery/

New book arrives!

2010-05-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

I just got a copy of my new book, directly from the publisher. It is finally in print!

http://www.nph.com/nphweb/html/nph/search.jsp?sTitle=1&sContrib=1&sTopic=1&sGenus=1&sItemId=1&sSeries=1

Joy or Despair? The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

2010-04-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Stephen J. Bennett is presenting a paper at the Evangelical Theological Society northeastern region annual meeting. The title is "Joy or Despair? The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes." 10:30 – 11:20 am, April 17, 2010.

Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary / Northeast Campus
2810 Curry Road
Schenectady, New York 12303.

Nyack Scholars' Symposium

2010-04-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

Stephen J. Bennett is speaking April 6, 2010 at the Nyack Scholars' Symposium (9:30 and 11:05... same thing twice; in Hilltop room 5, Nyack College).

Topic: What the Preacher Told Me: The Message of Ecclesiastes.

Presentation at Society of Biblical Literature

2010-03-09T09:25:00.001-08:00

I am preparing a presentation for the Society of Biblical Literature regional meeting in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

My title is: Moby-Dick's Allusions to Ecclesiastes.

SBL Session 2: Wisdom Literature; March 11, 2010; 10:05--11:55 am.

( SBL 2.2 ) WISDOM LITERATURE (Salon C)
Presiding: Kenton Sparks, Eastern University.
“Innocent Suffering, Shunned and Unanswered: Ignorant Suffering in the Book of Job and Its
Socio-Political Role.”
Joonho Yoon, Drew University.
“The Last Temptation of Job: Temptation Traditions in the Islamic Qisas al-Anbiya of Job.”
Christopher Hooker, Princeton Theological Seminary.
“The Depiction of Leviathan and Behemoth in the Old Greek of Job.”
Adam Oliver Stokes, Princeton Theological Seminary.
“Moby-Dick’s Allusions to Ecclesiastes.”
Stephen J. Bennett, Nyack College / Alliance Theological Seminary.
__________________________________

Commentary submitted to Publisher

2009-12-08T17:51:00.001-08:00

My commentary is finally complete. Alex Varughese has graciously and efficiently done the editing for both Ecclesiastes and Lamentations. The manuscript has been forwarded to the publisher for copy editing. Release date is planned for March 1, 2010.

Carly Simon, Anticipation

2009-04-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

Connections with Ecclesiastes:

"chasing after some finer day."

"tomorrow we might not be together."

"These are the good old days."

Lyrics:

Anticipation

We can never know about the days to come

But we think about them anyway

And I wonder if I'm really with you now

Or just chasing after some finer day

{Refrain}

Anticipation, anticipation

Is making me late

It's keeping me waiting

And I tell you how easy it feels to be with you

And how right your arms feel around me

But I, I rehearsed those words just late last night

When I was thinking about how right tonight might be

{Refrain}

And tomorrow we might not be together

I'm no prophet, and I don't know nature's ways

So I'll try to see into your eyes right now

And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days

These are the good old days

And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days

These are the good old days

Ziggy Marley: Good Old Days

2009-04-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

Connections with Ecclesiastes:

"No one knows the future."

"For everything has a season; It's not a time for war, it's a time for peace."

"Let's cherish these moments that we now know."

Lyrics by David Marley:

Good Old Days

Ire days, come on play

Let the angels fly, let the devils die

Got to do what you can with the time at hand

Ali boom mah, yeah, ali boom mah, yeah.

Don't worry your mind, it's just the test of time

In five years, these be the good ol' days

No one knows what the future holds

For everything has a season

It's not a time for war, it's a time for peace

Tomorrow knows tomorrow woes

I remember when grandpa used to say

"Grandson, these be the good ol' days"

These be the good ol' days

These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days

Now comes the moon with its starry lights

And so begins the night life

The tribal dance puts me in a trance

As she pulls me in with her magic swing

I asked of her what do we celebrate

She said to me, "These be the good ol' days"

These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days

These be the good ol' days

There is no future, there is only now, now

Let's cherish these moments that we now know, know, know

These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days

...

Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ

2009-04-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

A few references to Ecclesiastes in the spiritual formation classic Imitation of Christ.

Kipling--Gods of the Copybook Headings

2009-03-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

In days gone by handwriting was learned by copying out lines in "copybooks." What to copy was supplied in the book with headings on each page, often consisting of a helpful proverb. When Kipling reacted against the social trends of his day, he spoke about this copybook wisdom as something that had been abandoned, but which would in the end prove valuable.

That reminds me of Ecclesiastes. There is a serious challenge to the received wisdom, but in the end an unwillingness to let go of the doctrine of retribution. "but know thou, that for all these [things] God will bring thee into judgment" (Ecclesiastes 11:9).

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race,
I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.

We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn
That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:
But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind,
So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.

We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,
Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place,
But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come
That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome.

With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch,
They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch;
They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings;
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know."

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death."

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began.
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire;

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!

I Surrender All

2009-03-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me to translate "I Surrender All" into Hebrew, so here it is. Please post a comment if you have corrections or a better translation for this hymn.

Coco Chanel and Ecclesiastes 3

2009-03-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

"There is time for work. And time for love." said Coco Chanel. "That leaves no other time."

Lord Byron, "All Is Vanity," Says the Preacher

2009-03-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

'All Is Vanity,' Saith the Preacher

by Lord Byron
(1788-1824)

Fame, wisdom, love, and power were mine,
And health and youth possessed me;
My goblets blushed from every vine,
And lovely forms caressed me;
I sunned my heart in beauty' eyes,
And felt my soul grow tender;
All earth can give, or mortal prize,
Was mine of regal splendour.

I strive to number o'er what days
Remembrance can discover,
Which all that life or earth displays
Would lure me to live over.
There rose no day, there rolled no hour
Of pleasure unembittered;
And not a trapping decked my power
That galled not while it glittered.

The serpent of the field, by art
And spells, is won from harming;
But that which soils around the heart,
Oh! who hath power of charming?
It will not list to wisdom's lore,
Nor music's voice can lure it;
But there it stings for evermore
The soul that must endure it.

All Is Vanity by Charles Gilbert

2009-03-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

This ambiguous illusion by Charles Gilbert is titled "All Is Vanity," signaling a conscious connection with Ecclesiastes. The painting faithfully reflects the ambiguity of the book since both portray simultaneously the beauty of life together with the certainty of approaching death. In the image, an innocent portrayal of a young woman before a mirror seems to project the image of a skull.

The Sea-wolf by Jack London

2009-03-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Sea-wolf,

by Jack London (McClure Publications, 1917).

In The Sea-Wolf by Jack London, the character Wolf Larsen reads Ecclesiastes 2:8-9, 11; 9:2-6 in full, and then proclaims, "The Preacher who was king over Israel in Jerusalem thought as I think." For all the limitations in life, he appreciated its superiority over death (pages 106-107).

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

2009-03-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Tess quotes "all is vanity" in reference to her wasted life, in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

Ulysses, by James Joyce

2009-03-07T13:03:00.001-08:00

I don't think this has anything to do with Ecclesiastes, but it uses the phrase 'vanity of vanities' (page 652).

Ulysses, by James Joyce.

Romeo's Oxymorons

2009-03-07T12:52:00.000-08:00

Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, has a conversation where Romeo laments the contradictions of life, even using the word 'vanity' ("serious vanity"). Benvolio doesn't find it funny.

Qoheleth also laments the contradictions of life, but in the end resigns to enjoy life as it is handed to him.

All Is Vanity by Christina Schwarz

2009-03-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

All Is Vanity, by Christina Schwarz is a novel I haven't read. It begins with a kind of pre-mid-life crisis, i.e. a crisis of meaning before reaching mid-life. Anyway, the title comes from Ecclesiastes.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

2009-03-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

Les Miserables By Victor Hug o: "" Grantaire, in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, quotes "The Ecclesiast", 'all is vanity'.

Ephemeral Musical Album on Ecclesiastes

2009-03-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

The Album is fictional, that is, it does not exist. Paulo Brabo's (from Curitiba, Brasil) alter ego Paulo Roberto Purim's recording of "Silent Night" does exist on archive.org. The others items in the description are vanity:

Sum of God(2004), the Trinity Brothers' Christmas album, is the last entry in a trilogy which started with the award-winning Some of God (inspired by the Book of Ecclesiastes, 2001) and was followed by Sun of God(inspired by the Book of Psalms, 2003). Silent Night is the last song in this album. The Trinity Brothers are Paul, Bob and Mister. ©© The Brazilian Bomber Project Saint Brabo Monastery, West Indias

(Saint Brabo Monastery is as fictional as "West Indias").

Six Sermons on Ecclesiastes

2009-03-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

www.archive.org has six recordings of sermons on Ecclesiastes by Dr. John Johnson of Village Baptist Church, in a series called "Coming to Grips with Reality":

2008-21-09, "The Reality Behind Pleasure and Profit"
2008-10-05, "Coming to Grips with Time"
2008-14-09, "The Reality of What we Can Control"
2008-09-28, "Seizing the Moments God Serves up"
2008-10-19, "The Reality of Individualism - Ecclesiastes 4:7-12"
"Sweat the Small Stuff - Ecclesiastes 10:1"

For all 18 sermons from the series (audio and manuscript), see the church website.

Dr. John Johnson is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Western Seminary, and pastor of Village Baptist Church in Beaverton, Oregon.

Three Musketeers

2009-03-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Alexandre Dumas's Three Musketeers has a quote from the Ecclesiastes theme verse when Aramis denies to D'Artangan that his decision to re-enter clerical life is motivated by a wound of the heart, rather than by his physical wound. He says "Vanitas vanitatum!" with the meaning that the suggestion of Aramis is 'nonsense', 'absurd', 'untrue'. (p 305).

Tolstoy quoting Ecclesiastes

2009-03-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

In Tolstoy's War and Peace, there is a direct (almost) quotation of the theme verse of Ecclesiastes, "All is vanity, all falsehood, except that infinite sky. There is nothing, nothing, but that. But even it does not exist, there is nothing but quiet and peace." Part Three, chapter 16, page 294.

Church Unique

2009-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

A new book by Will Mancini is the subject of a post by Greg Arthur. The basic premise is that every church is unique and should not be modeling itself after 'successful' churches. Amazon link, click here.

David Williamson Ecclesiastes Sermon

2009-03-07T06:24:00.000-08:00

David Williamson has written a nice sermon on Ecclesiastes called The Challenge of Ecclesiastes. He includes a passage from Harmen Steenwijck (c. 1640) who calls Qoheleth "The Quester." He also has some quotes from Jerome, U2, the New Testament, and others.

"Koheleth went on precisely such a journey with all his royal resources. Like the kid with a £20 note who buys as many ice creams as he can carry, only to have them melt in his arms, the Preacher-Teacher-Quester declares: '[With] much wisdom comes much sorrow, the more knowledge, the more grief.'"

Williamson also has posts on Karl Barth and Koheleth, and Ecclesiastes and Woody Allen.

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture

2009-03-06T15:46:00.001-08:00

John Robert Wright and Thomas Oden have contributed a wonderful resource of patristic interpretation of Ecclesiastes with their volume in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. See the image for a list of the main entries.

Content with Creation

2009-03-05T05:28:00.000-08:00

One of the main themes of Ecclesiastes (the main theme?) is contentment, literally "to see good." Rabbi Jonathan Cahn of Lodi, NJ alerted me to a connection with the repeated refrain in Genesis 1, "and God saw that it was good." Human contentment with their allotment (eating, drinking, working) should mirror God's contentment with his creative activity. It is not what people have made which is good, but what God has given them. God continues to be the maker/doer.

Transcript of Jonathan Cahn's message:

Jonathan Cahn, 11/22/1996  Israel Pilgrimage 1996, Cassette Tape No. 576.
Hope of the World Ministries
Box 1111, Lodi, NJ 07644, USA.

There's something he said, he said, he saw that it was good,
he looked on everything, he saw that it was good, and then
he blessed it. So how do you have, how do you enter God's
sabbath? You must see that it is good and you must bless
it, meaning that God promises that everything in your life
will work out for good if you follow him. Everything will
work out good. The only way you're going to have rest, is
you must see it as good. You must be able to say, Lord I
see that there is good, or I entrust you that it is good
in you, and I must bless it. Bless it, and you will be able
to rest. As long as you worry about something, you're not
blessing it. As long as you have bitterness you're saying
it's not good. God is saying you must look at everything
in your life with his grace and be able to say “It is good,
it is good” and bless it and you will begin to enter God's
peace, and God's sabbath. As the sun set, that's what we
learned.

Audio clip, click video:

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

2009-03-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey wrote a beautiful paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 1--5 in 1546. Several versions are available in full text on Google Books, including Frederick Morgan Padelford's 1920 edition, The Poems of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (University of Washington Press), http://books.google.com/books?id=zLeEAAAAIAAJ. See pages 83-90.

Eric S. Christianson includes many quotes from Howard in his 2007 book, Ecclesiastes through the Centuries.

Comic Wisdom

2009-03-02T10:01:00.001-08:00

Seven inches of snow (so far) and classes are cancelled. It's a perfect day for a fire and once we have shovelled the neighbours out, I get some old newspaper to get the fire going again. Yesterday I got some dead wood from the cemetery so everything was set. As I was reading the comics on the paper I was burning, I noticed a couple of comics. Hagar the Horrible seems too much like the Epicureans with his definition of the meaning of life: "Life is fighting, raiding, drinking beer, partying, and playing games." Garfield seems closer to the mark with his reflection, "There is so much in the world I don't know about. but I do know where the food is, so ... who cares?" Eccl 5:18 (heb 17).

Useless Beauty

2009-02-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

Robert K. Johnston, Useless Beauty: Ecclesiastes through the Lens of Contemporary Film (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 2004).

Johnston's book is titled after the Elvis Costello song (and album) "All This Useless Beauty." The aim of the book is to engage a dialogue between Ecclesiastes and contemporary films that also portray the "hard, paradoxical reality of life."
The films reviewed include:
Ikiru
Crimes and Misdemeanors
American Beauty
Six Feet Under (HBO television programme)
Magnolia
Punch Drunk Love
Run Lola Run
The Princess and the Warrior
Monster's Ball
Signs
Election
About Schmidt

Spring of Life

2009-02-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

We sang this song in chapel last Friday. It has some themes in common with Ecclesiastes:
- searching and finding (Eccl 1:13; 2:3; 7:25 ('searching'); 'finding' 12 times, e.g. Eccl 3:12 no one can find out the work of God)
- the world doesn't satisfy (Eccl 5:10 [heb 9], whoever loves wealth is never satisfied; Eccl 1:7-8, sea, words, eyes, ears never satisfied).
- emptiness ... this relates to the key word 'vanity' (hebel).

In this life we will find, We will be searching
In this life we will find, The world won’t satisfy
In this life we will find
That we will be empty, Without You

Jesus You’re the well that won’t run dry
Jesus You’re the drink that satisfies
Living water, Spring of life
Jesus You’re the well that won’t run dry

In this life we will find, We will be yearning
In this life we will find, The world won’t satisfy
In this life we will find
That we will be hopeless, Without You

We will thirst no more thirst no more
We will drink from you drink from you
We will search no more search no more
When we drink from you drink from you

Written By: Kristian Stanfill
Copyright: © 2008 worshiptogether.com songs / sixsteps Music

Ol' Man River

2009-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 1:3-11 has often been interpreted as representing the meaningless cycles of nature, which is taken as an analogy for the meaningless repetitions in human life. Stuart Weeks (SBL conf, 2008), however, has shown that the emphasis is not on cycles, but on the continuous activity of nature (without reference to cycles). The streams, for example, continue flowing to the sea with no discernible change to the sea (Eccl 1:7). Likewise, speaking, seeing, and hearing continue with no end in sight. Human activity just doesn't make much of a difference to the world. Generations continue to come and go (1:4), the sun continues to shine (1:5), the wind continues to blow (1:6), and yes, Ol' Man River, he just keeps on rolling along (1:7).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh9WayN7R-s

"He keeps on rollin' along, he keeps on rollin' along" Eccl 1:7.
"An' dem dat plants 'emis soon forgotten" Eccl 1:11.
"You an' me, we sweat an' strain" Eccl 1:3.

Paul Robeson - Ol' man river Lyrics Album: Ol Man River (1926-1938) Ol' man river,Dat ol' man riverHe mus'know sumpin'But don't say nuthin',He jes'keeps rollin'He keeps on rollin' along.He don' plant taters/tators,He don't plant cotton,An' dem dat plants'emis soon forgotten,But ol'man river,He jes keeps rollin'along.You an'me, we sweat an' strain,Body all achin' an' racket wid pain,Tote dat barge!Lif' dat bale!Git a little drunkAn' you land in jail.Ah gits wearyAn' sick of tryin'Ah'm tired of livin'An' skeered of dyin',But ol' man river,He jes'keeps rolling' along.[Colored folks work on de Mississippi,Colored folks work while de white folks play,Pullin' dose boats from de dawn to sunset,Gittin' no rest till de judgement day.or musical part]Don't look upAn' don't look down,You don' dast makeDe white boss frown.Bend your kneesAn'bow your head,An' pull date ropeUntil you' dead.)Let me go 'way from the Mississippi,Let me go 'way from de white man boss;Show me dat stream called de river Jordan,Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross.O' man river,Dat ol' man river,He mus'know sumpin'But don't say nuthin'He jes' keeps rollin'He keeps on rollin' along.Long ol' river forever keeps rollin' on...He don' plant tater,He don' plant cotton,An' dem dat plants 'emIs soon forgotten,but ol' man river,He jes' keeps rollin' along.Long ol' river keeps hearing dat song.You an' me, we sweat an' strain,Body all achin an' racked wid pain.Tote dat barge!Lif' dat bale!Git a little drunkAn' you land in jail.Ah, gits wearyAn' sick of tryin'Ah'm tired of livin'An' skeered of dyin',But ol' man river,He jes'keeps rollin' along!

Portuguese Irregular Verbs

2009-01-27T18:15:00.000-08:00

creio, dou, digo, durmo, faco, hei, vou, leio, ouco, peco, posso, ponho, quero, sei, sou, trago, vejo, venho.

Alexander McCall Smith's novel Portuguese Irregular Verbs (New York: Anchor Books, 2003. Amazon Link) features a scholar who searches for recognition and love, both of which slip through his fingers at the last moment.

"He brought himself to order. There was no point in self-pity, which was something he invariably disliked in others. No; he would not allow himself to be discouraged. He had much to be proud of in this life; much for which he should be grateful. He was, after all Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld. That, on its own, would have been quite enough; but there was more: he was the author of Portuguese Irregular Verbs, and that was something that would forever be associated with his name, just as when people thought of Thomas Mann they thought of ...
"Von Igelfeld stopped. Then he laughed, which made Prinzel swerve the car slightly; before he righted it and they continued their journey back to Germany, where they belonged." (p. 128).

This quote begins with a reference to "order" which is a Wisdom Literature theme, and a theme which Ecclesiastes challenges. Good things do not always happen to good people. Von Igelfeld also seems to lament this lack of order as he does his best to make wise and careful decisions, but to no avail. Yet, to be honest, he has much to be grateful for, and that thought brings him to contentment, another major theme in Ecclesiastes (e.g. 3:22). Ecclesiastes advocates acceptance of the lot that God has given each person. Smith's book closes with von Igelfeld going back to his allotted place, "Germany, where they belonged."

Epic of Gilgamesh

2009-01-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

"Gilgamesh, whither rovest thou?
the life thou pursuest thou shalt not find.
When the gods created mankind,
Death for mankind they set aside,
Life in their own hands retaining.
thou, Gilgamesh, let full be thy belly,
Make thou merry by day and by night.
Of each day make thou a feast of rejoicing,
Day and night dance thou and play!
Let thy garments be sparkling fresh,
Thy head be washed; bathe thou in water.
Pay heed to the little one that holds on to thy hand,
Let they spouse delight in thy bosom!
For this is the task of [mankind]!" ANET 90.

This is the ale-wife's [='beer-woman', i.e. tavern owner] speech to Gilgamesh, the hero of the ancient (2000 B.C.) Akkadian epic who travels extensively in search of the secret of immortality. The quotation above anticipates Ecclesiastes' theme of enjoying life (e.g. Eccl 3:22).

Another connection:
"You have toiled without cease, and what have you got?" (Brown 2000, 5, citing Kovacs 92-93). Eccl 1:3, "What does man gain from all his labor?" (NIV).

See Seow's commentary in the Anchor Bible for many connections between Ecclesiastes and Gilgamesh.

Worthless Pursuit of the Things on the Earth

2009-01-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

Chris Taylor's contemporary Christian music album Worthless Pursuit of the Things on the Earth (Rhythm House Music/ASCAP 2000. Amazon link) has a very Ecclesiastes-type ring to the title track. Here are the lyrics:

I've spent years and years and years
Chasing the wind out of my very own sails
Time and time again... I've lost the inspiration that got me here.
What is worth the life and the living...
The pain of loss is it worth the giving?
From the moment of my birth
The worthless pursuit of things on the earth.

Over and over it seems
I've worked my fingers all the way to the bone.
Possessing the things I don't need.
I live in a big house...but I feel so alone.
All that toil, all that grief,
All that gain but still no peace.
Dust turns into dirt.
The worthless pursuit of things on the earth.

I'm on my way... to the end of the world.
All along the way... chaos rules both kings and fools.
I'm on my way...to the end of the world.

I had some money for a little while;
Left holes in my pockets and a long paper trail.
Everyone's looking for the meaning of life.
Everyone's got their own story to tell...

All our searching, all our finding, all our conscience still reminding.
We wear it like a shirt.
The worthless pursuit of things on the earth.

The album insert explains the origin of the song with no mention of Ecclesiastes. Here are some allusions as I see them:

"Chasing the wind"... Eccl 1:14, etc.
"Possessing the things I don't need" ... Eccl 5:13 [heb 12] "wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner"
"I feel so alone"... Eccl 4:8.
"All that gain but still no peace" ... Eccl 1:3, "What does man gain from all his labor"; Eccl 5:12 [heb 11] "the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep."
"Dust turns into dirt"... Eccl 12:7, "the dust returns to the ground where it came from"
"chaos rules both kings and fools" ... 'chaos' is a break down of divine order, which Ecclesiastes sees in the break down of retribution (e.g. Eccl 9:2). 'Chaos' is also used to translate 'formless and void' (tohu vavohu, Genesis 1:2) which parallels Ecclesiastes' key word 'vanity' (hebel) which can be translated as 'nothing, empty'. 'Chaos' (tohu) is translated 'vanity' in Isa 44:9 (KJV), and is used in parallel with 'vanity' (hebel) in Isa 49:4.
"kings and fools" ... Eccl 4:13, "Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king"
"I had some money for a little while"... Eccl 5:14 [heb 13], "wealth lost through some misfortune."
"All our searching" ... Eccl 1:13, "I devoted myself to study and explore."
"All our finding" ... Eccl 7:28, "while I was still searching but not finding."

(all quotations from New International Version)

What use was it having all that money

2009-01-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

Mma Ramotswe of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency reminisced about life in rural Africa, and criticized the empty lifestyle of the wealthy. "How sorry she felt for white people, who couldn't do any of this, and who were always dashing around and worrying themselves over things that were going to happen anyway. What use was it having all that money if you could never sit still or just watch your cattle eating grass?" (p 162. Alexander McCall Smith. New York: Pantheon Books, 1998). Ecclesiastes 4:6, "Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind" (NIV). Link to Amazon.

Evil under the Sun

2009-01-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

Agatha Christie has a Poirot novel with the title Evil under the Sun which really has an 'Ecclesiastes' ring to it, since 'under the sun' is a key phrase in the biblical book. The book has no discernible relationship to Ecclesiastes apart from the title, which Poirot pronounces in the context of a conversation where the character Emily Brewster suggests that there wouldn't be a murder in such an island paradise. Poirot replies, "It is peaceful. The sun shines. The sea is blue. But you forget, Miss Brewster, there is evil everywhere under the sun" (p. 11).
The Reverend Stephen Lane soon pipes up, "I was interested, M. Poirot, in something you said just now. You said that there was evil done everywhere under the sun. It was almost a quotation from Ecclesiastes." "Yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live" (p. 12).
This is a quotation of Ecclesiastes 9:3 from the King James Version. The choice is surprising since the quote does not mention the 'sun'. The unquoted first part of the verse, however, does say, "This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun..." The verse is actually lamenting the finality of death.
Other verses the author could have quoted:
Eccl 4:1, "the oppressions that are done under the sun"
Eccl 4:3, "the evil work that is done under the sun"
Eccl 5:13 [heb 12], "evil which I have seen under the sun"
Eccl 10:5, "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun"

Agatha Christie, Evil under the Sun. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1940.
Amazon edition, click here.

Now stop worrying and enjoy your life

2009-01-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

CNN reports that London buses are displaying an advertisement that reads, "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
Link to CNN video
Ecclesiastes has a similar message, but based on a different premise. We can stop worrying and enjoy life, precisely because there is a God who is in control.

Let your words be three

2008-12-20T17:38:00.001-08:00

Ecclesiastes gives the advice, "God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few" (NIV, Eccl 5:2). Andrew Clements book No Talking has fifth grade kids taking this literally (with no mention of or allusion to Ecclesiastes) for 48 hours, much to the disgust of the teachers, and especially the head mistress. Inspired by Ghandi's practice of saying nothing one day a week, the girls and boys have a contest to see who can speak the least. They are allowed three words in response to direct questions from teachers. They end up with a better respect for each other, and for silence.

Qohleleth's Colophon

2008-12-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

I can just imagine Qoheleth chuckling to himself after declaring "of making books there is no end." If he could only see the explosion of writing that the electronic age has fostered... This is how I imagine him autographing his book:

Pipas chasing the wind

2008-12-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

When I went on a mission trip to Brasil years ago, the kids who came to our vacation Bible school in Sao Paulo taught me how to make a kite, which they called a 'pipa' (they didn't speak any English, so everything they said was in Portuguese). We spent all afternoon finding the right materials and putting the kite together. They found a tin can in the gutter which was for winding the string. They took me to a corner store where I bought a reel of cotton thread for the string. Next was the 'casa do bamboo' where a man was leaning on his iron fence chatting with a neighbour, and trying to ignore annoying little kids. Finally he took me over to the boot of his car and showed me an array of different coloured crepe paper, and sticks of thin bamboo. The boys asked me what colour, I tried some Spanish: "negro." The boys burst out laughing since "preto" is the more common word for 'black'. For the tail all I needed to do was cut a shopping bag into strips. I would soon be ready to chase the wind with my newly made pipa. One more thing the Brasilians do to make chasing the wind even more ephemeral....they glue crushed glass to the string. That way they can cut down the pipas of other kite fliers.

Turning Points and Ecclesiastes

2008-11-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

Victor Matthews' book Old Testament Turning Points: The Narratives that Shaped a Nation (Baker, 2005) has a couple of interesting observations on Ecclesiastes.

In the section on the etiology of death in the Adam and Eve narrative Matthews discusses the Story of Adapa (Mesopotamia) and ends the section with this paragraph:

"Finally, in the end, we question the necessity for the death that claims us all. Why should we spend a lifetime acquiring knowledge and skills only to have them disappear with our last breath? Is the writer of Ecclesiastes correct to say that all is vanity and that we have no real legacy of enduring accomplishment upon which to justify our existence on earth (Eccles. 1:2-11)? The answer may be that in our struggle to make a life for ourselves and establish an identity as a member of a people or nation, we act on the knowledge gained through disobedience in Eden. In that context, while we cannot return to Eden, we can strive to make this world a better, more Eden-like place. Thus it is best to take the advice to "not let your hands be idle" (Eccles. 11:6) and to "rejoice in" all the years we are given (11:8)." (Matthews, 27).

In the next section, Matthews deals with the wisdom theme and notes that Eve had the ability for critical thinking but the serpent's questions awakened her intellectual curiosity. The resulting expulsion from Eden becomes a motivation for human achievement. Matthews adds,

"Without expulsion there also would be no drive to restore the severed relationship with the Divine, no attempt to join ourselves once again with the God who created us. Considering the reflections of the author of Ecclesiastes once more, it does ring true that "God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes" (Eccles. 7:29)." (Matthews, 30).

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

I went to the faculty staff Thanksgiving chapel at Nyack College, Nyack last week. Dr. Elio Cuccaro gave the message on the theme of thanksgiving. I don't remember what he said very well, but he mentioned that Jesus only said "thank you" three times. Also he noted the importance of giving thanks in the Pauline epistles, but the lack of thankfulness in the list comprising the fruit of the Spirit.

I wish I could remember better, but he talked about the need for actions that show thankfulness, more than merely repeating a saying. Like little kids who are required to "say sorry" but don't really feel or act sorry, saying "thank you" can degenerate into a ritual that doesn't have a real response of thankfulness. He mentioned something about the prayer of thanks that Jesus gave at the feeding of the 5000. It would have been the standard Jewish prayer, "Blessed are you Yahweh our God who brings forth bread from the earth" (baruk atta adonai elohenu melek haolam asher motzi lehem min haaretz). There is no "thank you" in this prayer, but rather an acknowledgement that God is the source of the food. It is a confession.

Dr. Bryan Widbin of Alliance Theological Seminary has often observed that there is no word for "thank you" in biblical Hebrew. Modern Hebrew uses "todah" which is really a confession, not of guilt, but an acknowledgement of what the other person has done. Rather than a generic "thank you," there is a specific acknowledgement of the deed, and the source of the deed. In the "grace," it is confessing that God is the source of the bread (i.e. not ourselves).

I love thanksgiving and harvest season. Thanksgiving helps me to count my blessings and focus on the good things in my life... and the source of those good things. Blessed are you Lord Jesus Christ who has filled my life with so many blessings. Thank you.

Turn! Turn! Turn!

2008-11-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

I've found (discovered) a beautiful book based on the Byrds song written by Pete Seeger which is based on Ecclesiastes 3. The illustrations by Wendy Anderson Halperin are wonderful. They are highly Westernized (or perhaps "New Yorkized" since there are apples in so many pictures). They show multiple images of life which give examples of the events named in Ecclesiastes 3 (e.g. born, die, cast away stones, gather stones). The book even includes an audio CD with performances of the song by the Byrds, and also by Pete Seeger (also lives in New York). $17.95 from Simon & Schuster, 2003. http://www.wendyhalperin.com/store.htm

Ecclesiastes uses three words for "turn" for a total of sixteen occurrences. Qoheleth (the author) usually uses it in the sense, "I turned to consider..." (e.g. 2:11). He turns to consider life sixteen times until it seems he is spinning as much as the wind as it blows around its endless cycles (1:6). "Turn" is a very important word in Ecclesiastes. I don't know if Pete Seeger knew that when he wrote this song. Maybe Seeger was thinking of the seasons returning and turning from one activity to another. Halperin catches this idea beautifully by means of many circles.

VeggieTales Time to be silly

2008-11-19T19:03:00.001-08:00

VeggieTales talking (singing) vegetables have a "quotation" of Ecclesiastes 3 in this clip... "a time to be silly..." (The Bellybutton Song).

A Time for CMA Dancing

2008-11-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes is all around us. Whole books have been written about how allusions are made in literature and film. Today I saw a sign that makes a joke on the old 19th century holiness movement ban on social dancing.

Of Making Blogs There Is No End

Review of Vang and Carter: Telling God's Story

The Bible Tells Me So

The Bible Tells Me So: Reading the Bible as Scripture, Thomas Jay Oord (editor), Richard P. Thompson (editor). Outskirts Press, 2011.

Review of Ecclesiastes Lamentations NBBC Stephen J. Bennett

I don't want to be rich, I want to be happy

Grinding in Eccl 12:3-4

Under the sun = above ground

Upcoming conferences...

Two conferences:"The Bible Tells Me So" at NNU in Idaho, Feb 10-12, 2011; and"The City in the Hebrew Bible" at Cambridge University, April 6-8, 2011.Dr. Bennett will be presenting papers at both, and each conference will publish a book of papers presented.

Ecclesiastes exhibition, Royal Academy

New book arrives!

Joy or Despair? The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

Nyack Scholars' Symposium

Presentation at Society of Biblical Literature

Commentary submitted to Publisher

Carly Simon, Anticipation

Ziggy Marley: Good Old Days

Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ

Kipling--Gods of the Copybook Headings

I Surrender All

Coco Chanel and Ecclesiastes 3

Lord Byron, "All Is Vanity," Says the Preacher

All Is Vanity by Charles Gilbert

The Sea-wolf by Jack London

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Ulysses, by James Joyce

Romeo's Oxymorons

All Is Vanity by Christina Schwarz

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Ephemeral Musical Album on Ecclesiastes

Six Sermons on Ecclesiastes

Three Musketeers

Tolstoy quoting Ecclesiastes

Church Unique

David Williamson Ecclesiastes Sermon

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture

Content with Creation

Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

Comic Wisdom

Useless Beauty

Spring of Life

Ol' Man River

Portuguese Irregular Verbs

Epic of Gilgamesh

Worthless Pursuit of the Things on the Earth

What use was it having all that money

Evil under the Sun

Now stop worrying and enjoy your life

Let your words be three

Qohleleth's Colophon

Pipas chasing the wind

Turning Points and Ecclesiastes

Thanksgiving

Turn! Turn! Turn!

VeggieTales Time to be silly

A Time for CMA Dancing

Two conferences:
"The Bible Tells Me So" at NNU in Idaho, Feb 10-12, 2011; and
"The City in the Hebrew Bible" at Cambridge University, April 6-8, 2011.
Dr. Bennett will be presenting papers at both, and each conference will publish a book of papers presented.