On the heels of many provocative works comes yet another from the prolific pen of French scholar Jacques Ellul. In REASON FOR BEING Ellul offers an exposition of the three intertwining themes of Ecclesiastes: vanity. wisdom, and God. While interacting with recent scholar-ship, Ellul presents a unique interpretation and contempo-rary application of "the profound and paradoxical Qohelet."

Examining specific passages in his development of the three general themes, Ellul considers theological, philo-sophical, and literary aspects of the text and asserts his own opinion on the book's place in Scripture and the gospel. Ellul's treatment of the book's irony and para-doxes, an often problematic matter which he sees as the key to understanding Ecclesiastes, sheds valuable light on the book as well as on life itself.

Once again, as in many previous books by Ellul, Joyce Hanks has produced an excellent translation and careful bibliographical work. REASON FOR BEING, featuring Ellul's Insightful analysis of Qohelet's message and its relevance for us today, will be especially valuable to students, pro-fessors, and pastors.