New Collegeville Bible Commentary: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther

Irene Nowell's lively and thoughtful exploration of these poetic and powerful books promises to ignite appreciation and understanding in the hearts and minds of readers.

The five books abound with vivid stories of faith. The Song of Songs, dedicated to Solomon, celebrates the wonder of human love. The book of Ruth, a masterpiece of storytelling, tells of two valiant women who move from emptiness to fullness, desolation to redemption. Lamentations, telling of the destruction of Jerusalem, recognizes that the Lord has struck and that only the Lord can heal. Ecclesiastes teaches the futility of vanity and storing up riches. The book of Esther tells the story of a Jewish woman and her uncle who, by their courage and wit, deliver the Jews from threatened genocide.

Gathered together and artfully explored, this volume offers readers a wealth of information to inspire deeper understanding of the human journey and God's presence in the lives of those who trust in him.

Irene Nowell, OSB, of the Benedictine community of Mount Saint Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas, teaches Scripture courses at Saint John's School of Theology-Seminary, Collegeville, Minnesota. She is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association, and the author of many books including Women in the Old Testament, and Numbers in the New Collegeville Bible Commentary, as well as Old Testament editor of the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible, all published by Liturgical Press.