Solomon: Israel's Ironic Icon of Human Achievement (Studies on Personalities of the Old Testament)
"We are living in a time when political figures are explicitly linked with issues of faith and religion, with several interpretations (including ironic ones) made available to the public.  This reality coheres with the way in which King Solomon is presented by various Old Testament traditions, viewing the king from several different perspectives, positively and negatively, in both subtle and straightforward ways. Walter Brueggemann is an excellent guide through these texts, with a sophisticated and learned eye to their theological import and their generative capacity for ongoing acts of interpretive imagination." —Terence E. Fretheim, Elva B. Lovell Professor of Old Testament, Luther Seminary"Rarely has the figure of Solomon been uncovered in so thorough a fashion as happens in this comprehensive study. Not only does the author examine the connections of Solomon to Psalms, wisdom, and the Song of Songs, as well as his place in the New Testament—something not often noticed—he shows the significant impact of Solomon on Muslim and Ethiopic traditions and even on the much later phenomenon of Freemasonry. Brueggemann’s ironic lens is a major and definitive contribution to the interpretation of this controversial biblical figure." —Patrick D. Miller, Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary