Q&A#9 Is Ecclesiastes Nihilistic?
July 1, 2018

Alastair Roberts
Today's Question: Ecclesiastes is a book that has long confused me. Its descriptions of all of life as vanity come off nihilistic and despairing. And yet it also speaks of God, of being grateful to him, of recognizing his judgment, and fearing him and obeying his commandments. I don't understand how these things cohere. How do you understand the book of Ecclesiastes? Is it entirely trustworthy?
Leave your own questions in the comments, on my blog, or on my Curious Cat account.
More From Alastair Roberts

Q&A#10 The Significance of Melchizedek
Alastair Roberts
July 13, 2018
Today's Question: Why is Melchizedek so important to the author of Hebrews? What's the biblical-theological significance of Jesus being a priest after

Unravelling the Mysteries of the Book of Esther
Alastair Roberts
July 15, 2018
An attentive reading of the book of Esther will raise various important questions that most of its readers miss. In this video, I discuss some of the

Q&A#11 What Should We Make of the Sign Gifts?
Alastair Roberts
July 16, 2018
Today's Question: What is your view of the miraculous gifts (like prophecy and the gifts of tongues) in the New Testament period? Did these discontinu

Looking for supporters for more regular videos!
Alastair Roberts
June 28, 2018
You can now support me on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/zugzwanged

Q&A#8 The Chronology of Genesis 38
Alastair Roberts
May 21, 2018
See this article for context: https://alastairadversaria.com/2006/12/08/the-judah-and-tamar-story-in-its-context/
Today's Question: The story of Juda

Q&A#7 Ruth the Moabitess and the Moabite Women of Nehemiah
Alastair Roberts
May 20, 2018
Today's Question: Having recently read both Ruth and Nehemiah, I was struck by the very different ways they relate to the recurring entanglement of Mo
More on OpenTheo

Keri Ingraham: School Choice and Education Reform
Knight & Rose Show
January 24, 2026
Wintery Knight and guest host Bonnie welcome Dr. Keri Ingraham to discuss school choice and education reform. They discuss the public school monopoly'

Life and Ministry in Charlotte and in the SBC with Clint Pressley
Life and Books and Everything
December 15, 2025
In a rare cultural anomaly that may never be repeated in our lifetimes, the current SBC President and current PCA Moderator live in the same neighborh

Can Two Logical People Come to Conflicting Conclusions Without Committing a Fallacy?
#STRask
January 8, 2026
Questions about whether two logical people can come to conflicting conclusions on a topic without committing a fallacy, how Greg, as a public figure,

Lora Ries: Border Security and Immigration Policy
Knight & Rose Show
December 7, 2025
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose welcome Lora Ries to discuss border security and immigration policy. They explore Biden's policy changes, like ending R

Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
#STRask
January 26, 2026
Questions about why we should think Jesus is not a created being, and what it means to say God became fully human if part of being human means not bei

Is It Possible There’s a Being That’s Greater Than God?
#STRask
February 5, 2026
Questions about whether it’s possible there’s a being that’s greater than God and that’s outside of God’s comprehension and omniscience, and how to ex

Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?
#STRask
March 9, 2026
Questions about why there is no effort towards a neutral interpretation of Scripture that doesn’t take denominational preferences into account, and ho

How Would You Convince Someone That Evil Exists?
#STRask
November 17, 2025
Questions about how to convince someone that evil exists, whether Charlie Kirk’s murder was part of God’s plan, whether that would mean the murderer d

What About Those Who Never Heard the Name of Jesus?
#STRask
December 22, 2025
Questions about what will happen to those who never heard of Jesus or were brought up in a different faith, whether there’s biblical warrant to think

Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Risen Jesus
March 18, 2026
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John write the gospels that bear their names? The texts themselves do not name them as the authors and were published and

Christmas Cranks and Christmas Blessings with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Life and Books and Everything
December 17, 2025
If you are looking for a podcast where three friends talk about whatever they want to talk about and ramble on about sports, books, and grievances, th

What Tools of Reasoning Help You Know What’s True, Right, and Good?
#STRask
December 4, 2025
Question about what tools of reasoning help us determine whether something is true or false, right or wrong, good or bad before bringing Scripture int

Is This an Argument for Relativism?
#STRask
March 16, 2026
Questions about whether the fact that the truth about one’s age changes over time is an argument for relativism, and how to ground virtues like courag

Is Greg Placing His Faith in the Wrong Thing?
#STRask
February 12, 2026
Questions about Greg placing his faith in his personal assessment of which truth claims best match reality rather than in the revelation of God in Jes

How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
#STRask
November 20, 2025
Questions about how to advocate for Christian policy without making the government interfere in every area of life, and the differences between the mo
