Download or read book The Strangest Books in the Bible written by Jerry Gladson and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2010 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Strangest Books in the Bible presents for the general reader and the Christian pulpit the five biblical books: Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. These books are among the most neglected literature in the Bible for Christians. In the Hebrew Bible, they are gathered in a minor canonical collection known as the Megilloth ("scrolls") because each book figures liturgically in one of the annual Jewish festivals. Readers will find background information (date, occasion, theological message, etc.) necessary to preparing sermons based on each book. Brief sermon "starters" follow, suggesting approaches for preaching on each book as a whole, as well as individual passages within the book, including passages found in the Revised Common Lectionary, used by more than twenty denominations. The complete text of a sample sermon from the book rounds out the discussion. Chapters close with a brief annotated bibliography of additional resources the minister may wish to consult while preparing a sermon for that book. A general introduction to the Megilloth stands at the beginning of the monograph. The Strangest Books in the Bible is designed particularly for ordained and lay ministers, priests, seminarians, and others who preach in churches and religious gatherings, as well as for faculty who teach in seminary or in Christian educational programs. It is also especially informative for the general reader who is interested in this strange, biblical literature. The Strangest Books in the Bible assist those who desire to explore in homiletic mode this neglected side of biblical faith. Pastors, priests, seminarians, and lay ministers will find in The Strangest Books in the Bible a surefooted, contemporary guide to preaching the neglected books of the Megilloth: Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. No other guide to preaching the Megilloth is currently available.