This book is a response to the popular counter-reading of Ecclesiastes in the 1980s and 90s as a book of “joy” (rather than a pessimistic book). It examines the seven “joy statements” of Qoheleth in the light of analogies with scepticism and the literary form of irony. Irony, like scepticism, has the function to induce doubt and questions. The joy statements of Qoheleth are likely analogous to expressions of complex irony—whereby what is said is both meant and not meant. This examination highlights the complexity of the biblical book—while demonstrating how unlikely the “joy reading” may be.
SKU (ISBN): 978-1-60724-322-9
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Publication Status: In Print
Publication Date: Jul 6,2010
Interior Color: Black
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Page Count: 211
Languages: English
ISBN: 978-1-60724-322-9
Scepticism and Ironic Correlations in the Joy Statements of Qoheleth? is a response to the popular counter-reading of Ecclesiastes in the 1980s and 90s as a book of “joy” (rather than a very pessimistic and depressing book). It examines the seven “joy statements” of Qoheleth in great detail: linguistically, form critically, in immediate and overall context, and in the light of analogies with scepticism and the literary form of irony. Irony, like scepticism, has the function to induce doubt and questions. While the reading of the joy statements of Qoheleth appear indeterminate in Anderson’s book, they are likely analogous to expressions of complex irony (aka Socratic Irony)—whereby what is said is both meant and not meant. This close examination of the “joy statement” of Qoheleth highlights the conceptual and literary complexity of the biblical book—while demonstrating just how unlikely the “joy reading” may well be. Consequently Qoheleth still leaves the reader guessing about the meaning of life.
