Making Sanity out of Vanity
Christian Realism in the Book of Ecclesiastes
by Stanley D Gale
GoodBookStall Review:
In a book that uses “the lens of Ecclesiastes as a practical commentary on life”, the author sets out to reconcile the all-powerful, all-loving God of the Bible with the random chaos of our lives. To this end he identifies two separate voices in the text, the Preacher and the Teacher. The Preacher details the futility of life as he observes it – the teacher agrees but points us towards God for the answer, which lies, predictably enough, in not relying on the vain things of the world for meaning, purpose and fulfillment – a form of idolatry – but on God alone. Chapters follow on the specific idols of plans, family and friends, money and possessions, pleasure, worldly wisdom, religion and politics, strength and beauty. The conclusion is that sanity lies in having low expectations of a fallen world, living by faith and walking closely with Christ, looking ahead to the day He will make all things new. Well-written and readable, with nothing unexpected.
Reviewer: Diane Morrison (27/09/11)
In a book that uses “the lens of Ecclesiastes as a practical commentary on life”, the author sets out to reconcile the all-powerful, all-loving God of the Bible with the random chaos of our lives. To this end he identifies two separate voices in the text, the Preacher and the Teacher. The Preacher details the futility of life as he observes it – the teacher agrees but points us towards God for the answer, which lies, predictably enough, in not relying on the vain things of the world for meaning, purpose and fulfillment – a form of idolatry – but on God alone. Chapters follow on the specific idols of plans, family and friends, money and possessions, pleasure, worldly wisdom, religion and politics, strength and beauty. The conclusion is that sanity lies in having low expectations of a fallen world, living by faith and walking closely with Christ, looking ahead to the day He will make all things new. Well-written and readable, with nothing unexpected.
Reviewer: Diane Morrison (27/09/11)
