Three Philosophies of Life: Ecclesiastes, Life As Vanity Job, Life As Suffering Song of Songs, Life As Love (Paperback)

by Peter Kreeft (Author) "The Bible is the greatest of books, and Ecclesiastes is the only book of philosophy, pure philosophy, mere philosophy, in the Bible..." (more)
Key Phrases: three philosophies, Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, Old Testament (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (October 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898702623
• ISBN-13: 978-0898702620
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #95,541 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #84 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Sacred Writings > Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
  #97 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > Commentaries > Old Testament

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I had no idea., November 30, 1999

By	Matt Enlow (Westport, CT United States) - See all my reviews

Until I read this book, all I knew about Ecclesiasties was that it was the source of the lyrics for that Byrds song. Kreeft opened my eyes to the wealth of philosophy (in the Bible? ) in this book. It's amazing how modern the thought presented here is. The idea that life has no meaning is by no means a new one, and the author of Ecclesiasties expounds on that fact as well as any modern philosopher. Kreeft says that when he teaches his Bible class at Boston College, he teaches Ecclesiasties first, because the rest of the Bible is the answer to the question Ecclesiasties poses.

The other two sections of the book are just as eye-opening, but the one on Ecclesiasties surprised me the most. "Three Philosophies" is a great, thought-provoking little book.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar (& not at all slapdash), May 9, 2001

By	ceolnoth40 "ceolnoth40" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

Haven't read this book in four years (gave my copy to my cousin in the northern wilderness), but if memory serves, Kreeft's exegesis of these three Old Testament books was well thought out, occasionally colloquial, scholarly but not impenetrable, inspiring, apt, delightful.

The readers who prefer the actual Biblical books being discussed to Kreeft's essays about those books are, of course, right in their preference -- but it should be added that, for this reader at least, Kreeft's "Philosophies" inspired us to take long, deep, reverent looks at the texts in question. Which we might not have done otherwise.

We are perhaps entitled to disagree with a few of his notions, or argue that emphasis has been misplaced here or there -- but the reader who would not benefit in some way from Kreeft's engaging study is, I would venture to say, in a very small minority.

We remember liking best the explication of the Song of Songs. The reader who is not stirred spi!ritually and intellectually by this part of the book, we believe, asymptotically approaches the inanimate.

Have begun to read a fairly recent book by Dr Kreeft, his "Prayer for Beginners," also published by Ignatius Press. Do we exaggerate if we call Dr Kreeft a lay counterpart to the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen, an engaging lecturer-writer of unquestioned intellect and of companionable accessibility?

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An existentially satisfying book for the Christian..., May 25, 2005

By	Corum Seth Smith (Hendersonville, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Kreeft's book is an insightful exegesis of some of the most difficult biblical text to understand. In a rough outline form, let me share what I found to be some of the best aspects of the book:
1) He makes a corollary from Ecclesiastes, Job, and Song of Solomon to passing from hell, purgatory, and heaven. He keeps the terms of this analogy well. For instance, he compares the meaningless vanity of Ecclesiastes to the tormenting void of desperation that is hell.
2) I disagree with a previous critic who said Kreeft was fallacious in reasoning. In fact, many of his arguments hinge on the necessity of logic: the fallacies of ambiguous definition (what IS "happiness" and "meaning"?), the logical necessity of syllogism (the famous Augustinian syllogism concerning God's goodness and omnipotence), and the principle of causality: what are the consequences of life choices? No; logic is central to each work of Kreeft's.
3) It is a great book to read as a supplement to biblical text for a time of devotion and reflection each day.
4) It is a great introduction to the questions concerning both philosophy of religion and theology; for instance- what is the role of experience in faith? Is fideism the appropriate stance of Christian faith?

All in all, I think the book is fantastic.