The number of those who see the book Kohelet as the expression of nihilist doctrine with the rest of the Old Testament teachings which cannot be passed on is falling. It is being replaced by interpretations in the framework of differentiated historical reconstructions that place the book in polyphonic contemporary discourse. A lasting result of this research can be seen in the analysis of the narrative structure of the book. In recent research, there is also a methodological trend towards a reception-orientated understanding of the text. Some interpretations still follow a literary criticism approach, but on the whole they are an isolated phenomenon and according to the present reviewer, not fair to the book. The question remains open whether 'external factors' have influenced the book. Can its special character be explained in terms of Egyptian culture (songs on the harp, biographies), the Mesopotamian Gilgamesch epic, or Greek culture (the Hellenic school of philosophers)?

Enthalten in:
Theologische Literaturzeitung; 2003/Nr.11 Monatsschrift für das gesamte Gebiet der Theologie und Religionswissenschaft (2003)

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Serie / Reihe: Theologische Literaturzeitung

Personen: Schwienhorst-Schönberger, Ludger

Schlagwörter: Literaturbericht Bibel. Kohelet