Getting to grips with the Pundit
by Peter F. Whyte, 7 Sep 2008
Sinclair B. Ferguson[info], The Pundit's Folly: chronicles of an empty life (Banner of Truth, 1995), ISBN 978-08515-676-9. £4.50.
Ecclesiastes may not be your idea of a good read, but in the hands of Sinclair Ferguson it comes alive in an exceedingly relevant and readable way. The Pundit's Folly is a short book of only four chapters, but Ferguson manages to get to the heart of the message in a concise way by looking at four main themes from the book: education, pleasure, work and success.
He applies the message of the book forcefully, but graciously. In the second half of the book he expounds the Gospel clearly, drawing the Gospel from the pages of Ecclesiastes, and tracing it into the New Testament.
This is a book that would help any Christian, no matter their age or maturity, to gain a clear understanding of the message of the Ecclesiastes. Considering how modern, or perhaps postmodern, Ecclesiastes sounds, it is a highly relevant, if frequently overlooked, book of the Bible. The Pundit's Folly is also a book that would be suitable to give to a Christian who is struggling with their faith in any of the areas the book covers. It would also be an appropriate gift for a non-Christian friend who is thinking seriously about God and the issues of modern life, since it was written specifically to help non-Christians.
Peter F. Whyte, “Review of The Pundit's Folly by Sinclair B. Ferguson”, 7 Sep 2008, Gilnahirk Baptist Church Web site. http://www.gilnahirkbaptist.org.uk/resources/study/book-pundit.php (accessed 6 Jan 2009).
