Gladson, Jerry

Jerry Gladson is Adjunct Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, and Senior Minister Emeritus of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Marietta, Georgia. He completed his Ph.D. in studies of the Hebrew Bible at Vanderbilt University.

A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes

2016 1-4955-0429-8
This is a comprehensive study of Ecclesiastes in commentary form that explores all aspects of the book and its interpretations, ancient and modern. It explores Ecclesiastes in the light of contemporary Judeo-Christian historical, theological, and biblical scholarship, with special attention to the role of Ecclesiastes among the Megilloth, the Five (biblical) Scrolls liturgically read at five important festivals in the Jewish community.

Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Ruth

2012 0-7734-4055-0
Gladson’s commentary presupposes some knowledge of Hebrew, but it also breaks down the text of the book of Ruth to provide a widely accessible interpretation of a rather important female voice in the Old Testament. This commentary engages with other exegetical works and claims that Ruth was probably one of the first short stories in recorded history. Due to its presence in the sacred canon it has functioned as a religious text, but it carries much importance as a literary accomplishment for depicting a female protagonist, but also for telling such a vibrant story in such a compact span of time, roughly four short Biblical chapters.

Gladson attempts to provide the most extensive scholarly treatment of the biblical book of Ruth to date. His exegesis looks at the way the story has been interpreted by biblical scholars, in music, art, literature, and culture. It is an amazing attempt to draw out as much material as possible considering the short length of the Book of Ruth, and the topics covered show an experienced scholar detailing what can be known and what is yet to be known about Ruth. Questions of authorship, origin, historical and literary importance are all addressed precisely because it is one of the only books in the Old Testament depicting a female protagonist in a positive light. Ruth is also considered to be one of the first written attempts at the short story genre.

Five Exotic Scrolls of the Hebrew Bible (Scrolls of the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther): The Prominence, Literary Structure, and Liturgical Significance of the Megilloth

2009 0-7734-4749-0
This work is a comprehensive, advanced introduction to the five books or scrolls in the Hebrew Bible (Song of Solomon; Ruth; Lamentations; Ecciesiastes; Esther) that constitute the Megilloth, a distinctive minor collection within the canon of the Hebrew Bible.