The Wisdom Literature: Interpreting Biblical Texts Series

by Richard J. Clifford

Publisher:

Abingdon Press

, 2011

In this volume, Richard J. Clifford seeks to make the biblical wisdom literature intelligible to modern readers. It is easy to quote the occasional proverb, say a few things about "the problem of evil" in Job, or quote "vanity of vanities, " but far more rewarding to read the whole book with an appreciative and informed eye.

Opening chapters of The Wisdom Literature comment on the striking similarities between ancient and modern "wisdom literature" and on the comparable literature from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Canaan. Thereafter, a chapter is devoted to each biblical wisdom book (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Sirach, and Wisdom of Solomon), studying not only its content but also its rhetoric -- how it engages the reader.

Product Details

• Title : The Wisdom Literature: Interpreting Biblical Texts Series
• Author: Clifford, Richard J.
• Publisher: Abingdon Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• ISBN: 9781426750014

About Richard J. Clifford

Richard J. Clifford, S.J., a native of Lewiston, Maine, is Dean of the Boston College, Department of Theology School of Theology and Ministry and Professor of Old Testament. Prior to becoming Dean, he taught biblical studies at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge from 1970 to 2008. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1966. He is a graduate of Boston College, Department of Theology (A.B., M.A.), Weston Jesuit School of Theology (S.T.L.) and Harvard University (Ph.D.). He was General Editor of the Catholic Biblical Quarterly and is a former President of the Catholic Biblical Association. As well as teaching and lecturing in scholarly circles, he also is active in adult education in various New England dioceses. The