“Faith seeking understanding”—this motto by Saint Anselm guides Christopher B. Ansberry in his accessible and theologically rich textbook on the wisdom literature, the Song of Songs, and the Psalms. Each of these books contributes to the Christian pursuit of faith seeking understanding in a distinctive and poetically mediated way:

Proverbs inculcates fear seeking understanding. Job stages a performance of suffering seeking understanding. Ecclesiastes exemplifies finitude seeking understanding. The Song depicts desires seeking understanding. The Psalter attunes the life of faith in accord with praise seeking understanding. (p. 2)

The treatment of these books follows a basic pattern. In a first chapter, the author outlines introductory issues pertaining to each book, such as content and structure, genre and literary characteristics, or interpretive issues. In one or two further chapters, he dives deep into theological topics occurring in the book. The main text is supplemented by a significant number of sidebars in different categories (literary notes, historical matters, canonical connections, theological issues, reception history, and philosophical issues).

In his chapters on the book of Proverbs (chs. 2–4), Ansberry demonstrates that character formation is the main goal of the sages. The collections are arranged in a way that stirs the moral reasoning of the reader and nurtures a life of wisdom and virtue. Each theological theme within the book of Proverbs promotes the underlying assumption that the good life is only possible by becoming “fearers of Yahweh” (p. 18). This means that, by understanding their dependence on Yahweh, the wise live a “life in relationship with Yahweh and in accord with the grain of Yahweh’s good creation” (p. 33).

The book of Job (chs. 5–7) seeks to answer two key questions: (1) “Is disinterested piety possible?” and (2) “Is the retribution principle a suitable policy for God’s governance of the world?” (p. 52). Within the course of the book, it becomes clear that God does not govern the world through a “mechanical system of retribution and reward” but by his wisdom, and that while “the world is ordered, … it is also unsafe” (p. 53). Due to the limitations and finitude of human beings, divine justice and wisdom are not fully accessible to them. Trying to navigate the vicissitudes of life, the God-fearer Job directly approaches God with his questions and laments, expecting his vindication.

In the chapters about Ecclesiastes (chs. 8–9), Ansberry introduces the “philosophical trinity” (ontology/anthropology, epistemology, and axiology/ethics) as “frames of reference for exploring a central question posed by Qoheleth: What does it mean to be a creature in this world?” (p. 99). Humans need to understand that they are dependent on the Creator, that they only possess “provisional knowledge” (p. 113), and that God is the source of all good. With all this in mind, both the elusiveness and the joys of this life can be received with gratitude.

In his explanations of the Song of Songs (chs. 10–11), Ansberry suggests interpreting it in both a literal-historical way as a human love song and a theological way as a divine-human love song. Readers are invited to understand this biblical book with Genesis 1–3 in mind—as an Edenic vision of love as well as a theological vision of reconciliation between God and his people.

The Psalms (chs. 12–13) model diverse ways in which humans navigate life with all its questions before their covenant God. Through both the genres of the individual psalms and the design of the entire anthology, the psalms express the nature of the life of faith within the capacious experiences of life and nourish the prayers’ theological imagination for their spiritual pilgrimage. The different voices create “a theo-logic, showing who God is in himself as well as who God is in relationship” (p. 172).

Ansberry provides his readers with an engaging and fascinating, yet also theologically reflected and academically up-to-date, introduction to these five poetic books. His canonical perspective invites the readers to interpret the different voices of wisdom as complementary rather than contradictory, leaving the reader with a sense of awe in light of the complexity and theologically permeated nature of life. He manages to introduce rather intricate theological concepts (i.e., divine impassibility) and philosophical ideas (i.e., virtue ethics) in a concise and accessible way, letting the readers experience the depth and beauty of these biblical texts. Furthermore, Ansberry offers helpful (hermeneutical) guidelines and illuminative theological perspectives on reading this material from a Christian viewpoint.

However, besides these altogether impressive qualities of this book, there are a few minor shortcomings. First, Ansberry’s hermeneutical method is not entirely transparent. For example, when referring to ancient Near Eastern texts to explain biblical concepts, it is not clear what exegetical significance these materials have. Second, while the theological depth of his presentation broadens the reader’s mind, occasionally Ansberry jumps too quickly from “the basics” of Bible survey to discussions of abstract theological themes. Third, sometimes the selection and structure of the material is elusive. As a reader, it is difficult to follow the logic or overarching train of thought within each section. This observation also relates to the length of his treatments. For example, readers might wonder why the long book of Psalms is presented in only two chapters.

All in all, however, this textbook is an excellent introduction, enhancing the readers’ literary overview, theological understanding, and canonical perspectives of these books. I would highly recommend it.