Wise Lives: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Wisdom of Sirach

by Patrick Henry Reardon

Publisher:

Ancient Faith

, 2009

Overview

Reardon states that although it is found in every major extant Christian manuscript of the Old Testament, the later exclusion of the Wisdom of Sirach from the Protestant canon has made it one of the little-known gems of Holy Scripture. Composed in Hebrew and translated into Greek in the 2nd century before Christ, it is among the last books of the Old Testament. Sirach represents the more primitive and conservative aspect of Israel’s wisdom tradition—the practical application of the fear of God to daily life—but he enhances that tradition by a singular attention to biography and historical literature in the shaping of the soul.

Key Features

• Provides commentary on the Wisdom of Sirach
• Explores the book’s emphasis on applying the fear of God to daily life
• Offers clear, accessible examination of Sirach

Contents

Top Highlights

“It is not enough to tell the young person that all will go well if only he keeps the rules and brings godly governance into his life. He must also know that the Lord invariably permits His servants to be tried by fire. The pursuit of wisdom will be accompanied by very difficult temptations.” (Page 26)

“If the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, the beginning of folly is an arrogant view of oneself” (Page 31)

“Here in Sirach, however, the young man is told—upfront!—that his soul will be tried. It is suggested that he is in need of purification, even humiliation (tapeinosis, v. 5).” (Page 25)

“Wisdom in this book is always created wisdom, not the consubstantial Wisdom of the New Testament and the Christian faith” (Page 18)

“deliberate effort to make the Torah and salvation history integral to the pursuit of wisdom” (Page 14)

Product Details

• Title: Wise Lives: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Wisdom of Sirach
• Author: Patrick Henry Reardon
• Series: Orthodox Christian Reflections
• Publisher: Ancient Faith
• Print Publication Date: 2009
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 195
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. O.T. Ecclesiasticus › Commentaries; Wisdom literature
• ISBNs: 9780982277034, 0982277032
• Resource ID: LLS:WSLVSRTHDXCHRST
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T21:11:43Z

About Patrick Henry Reardon

Patrick Henry Reardon is the pastor of All Saints Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois, and a senior editor at Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity. He was educated at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, St. Anselm’s College in Rome, the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, the University of Liverpool, and St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary. He is the author of several books and more than 500 articles, editorials, and reviews published in Books and Culture, Touchstone, The Scottish Journal of Theology, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Pro Ecclesia, St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, and other journals across three continents.