Ecclesiastes: The Bible's Agnostic Book

“For there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat, and drink, and enjoy themselves.” The Bible is not a single book speaking with a single voice. It is a library of books with different voices, with perspectives that are often in conflict. The Book of Ecclesiastes is a particularly interesting example. Like the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes is part of the Hebrew Wisdom tradition; and while both books are attributed to King Solomon, neither was actually written by him.

The perspective of Ecclesiastes is highly philosophical, rejecting most human concerns (including much of traditional religion) as meaningless “vanity”: “Vanity of vanities, all is futile!” he declares. Ecclesiastes rejects the idea of afterlife, and instead suggests that human beings should focus on simple pleasures of daily life, such as eating, drinking, and taking enjoyment in their work.

John Hamer of Toronto Centre Place will look at the date, authorship, and perspective of Ecclesiastes, as it compares and contrasts with the rest of the Biblical tradition. Join the livestream to participate in the discussion and to ask questions to our lecturer during the Q&A.

Other topics covered in this lecture include:
Epic of Gilgamesh
Meaning of life
Agnosticism
Wisdom Tradition
Siduri
Wisdom of Solomon


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