Half Empty: An Interpretive Guide to Ecclesiastes

Widely regarded as pessimistic in tone, the book of

Ecclesiastes presents unique difficulties for preaching and

teaching. Ecclesiastes seems to declare that no matter what

a person does, in the end life is as fleeting and meaningless

as vapor. What edifying value could this book have for

parishioners and students? Wendell Bowes, in Half Empty,

expertly answers this question. In this interpretive guide,

Dr. Bowes demonstrates how effectively the message

of Ecclesiastes complements the optimism of wisdom

books such as Proverbs by questioning that optimism and

underlining what is most important in life.

Like its companion volume, Half Full, on Proverbs, Half

Empty includes sermon starters, presentation ideas, sermon

title suggestions, and a substantial reference list.