Reading Ecclesiastes. Old Testament, exegesis and hermeneutical theory

At the end of the twentieth century there is no agreement among scholars about how to read Ecclesiastes. Some read it as deeply pessimistic while others read it as an affirmation ofjoy. Ecclesiastes is thus a fertile site for an analysis of the hermeneutical issues impacting on biblical exegesis. This volume explores the interface of hermeneutics and biblical exegesis while keeping its focus on the reading of Ecclesiastes. Particular attention is paid to the development of thè historical cri­ticai method in the context of modernity and its implications for thè reading of Ecclesiastes. The postmodern turn in biblical interpretation is analysed in terms of the challenge it presents to historical criticism. It is argued in conclusion that Christian scholars ought to practice a biblical hermeneutic shaped integrally by a Christian perspective and thè contours of such an approach are mapped out. From this perspective ecclesiastes is read as an ironie exposure of an empiricistic epistemology which seeks wisdom through personal experience and analysis alone.