These are my publications, firstly in relation to Biblical Studies (which I taught for many years) and then in relation to Higher Education (my main research interest now). At the end of the page there are links to some YouTube videos.
Ingram, Doug. Ambiguity in Ecclesiastes. Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies; 431. New York: T & T Clark International, 2006.
This book is a rewrite of my PhD thesis. It argues that the book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is fundamentally ambiguous by design. Throughout its history, the book of Ecclesiastes has been interpreted in diametrically opposed ways: in simple (perhaps simplistic) terms, the book has been read either with a positive or a negative 'meaning'. My thesis is that it has been deliberately designed this way: I argue that the author has intentionally created an ambiguous piece that reflects the ambiguity of the world as we experience it. That is to say, Ecclesiastes - like the world - requires those engaging with it to work out for themselves what it 'means'. My book first explores various theories about what 'meaning' means in literary texts, before looking in detail at a number of key words and phrases in Ecclesiastes itself. The conclusion then reflects on the implications of the ambiguity of these words and phrases.
This book is a rewrite of my PhD thesis. It argues that the book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is fundamentally ambiguous by design. Throughout its history, the book of Ecclesiastes has been interpreted in diametrically opposed ways: in simple (perhaps simplistic) terms, the book has been read either with a positive or a negative 'meaning'. My thesis is that it has been deliberately designed this way: I argue that the author has intentionally created an ambiguous piece that reflects the ambiguity of the world as we experience it. That is to say, Ecclesiastes - like the world - requires those engaging with it to work out for themselves what it 'means'. My book first explores various theories about what 'meaning' means in literary texts, before looking in detail at a number of key words and phrases in Ecclesiastes itself. The conclusion then reflects on the implications of the ambiguity of these words and phrases.
Ingram, Doug. Ecclesiastes: A Peculiarly Postmodern Piece. Grove Biblical Series; 34. Cambridge: Grove Books, 2004.
If you fancy reading my 'thesis' but don't want to delve into a big 'tome' (with lots of Hebrew in it and some untranslated French and German), this is the accessible version! It is a short booklet that provides the basic elements of the argument in the bigger book, but in a more reader-friendly form (though, of course, it doesn't offer the detailed support for my thesis that the book seeks to provide). The main point in this booklet is to argue that the ambiguity of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament makes it particularly appropriate in a postmodern era, when people are much readier to engage with the ambiguous and uncertain nature of the world as we now perceive it.
If you fancy reading my 'thesis' but don't want to delve into a big 'tome' (with lots of Hebrew in it and some untranslated French and German), this is the accessible version! It is a short booklet that provides the basic elements of the argument in the bigger book, but in a more reader-friendly form (though, of course, it doesn't offer the detailed support for my thesis that the book seeks to provide). The main point in this booklet is to argue that the ambiguity of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament makes it particularly appropriate in a postmodern era, when people are much readier to engage with the ambiguous and uncertain nature of the world as we now perceive it.
Ingram, Doug. Daniel: A Bible Commentary for Every Day. People's Bible Commentary. Edited by Richard A. Burridge and Henry Wansbrough. Oxford: The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006.
The People's Bible Commentary is a series of accessible commentaries on the Christian Bible, designed to help readers engage with the biblical text on a day-by-day basis. This commentary takes readers through the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. Although it is designed to be easy for readers to engage with and should help them apply the text to daily life, it is informed by serious, scholarly study of Daniel. My interpretations won't meet with universal agreement (particularly from more conservative Christians), but they arise from careful dialogue with a broad range of scholars and from detailed analysis of the Hebrew and Aramaic text. I do, though, try hard neither to presume that readers will agree with my interpretations nor to impose upon them my reading of the text!
The People's Bible Commentary is a series of accessible commentaries on the Christian Bible, designed to help readers engage with the biblical text on a day-by-day basis. This commentary takes readers through the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. Although it is designed to be easy for readers to engage with and should help them apply the text to daily life, it is informed by serious, scholarly study of Daniel. My interpretations won't meet with universal agreement (particularly from more conservative Christians), but they arise from careful dialogue with a broad range of scholars and from detailed analysis of the Hebrew and Aramaic text. I do, though, try hard neither to presume that readers will agree with my interpretations nor to impose upon them my reading of the text!
Ingram, Doug. "The Riddle of Qohelet and Qohelet the Riddler." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 37, no. 4 (2013): 485-509. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309089213483978. http://jot.sagepub.com/content/37/4/485.abstract.
Although tradition (both Jewish and Christian) ascribes the authorship of Ecclesiastes to the biblical King Solomon, the book never explicitly claims Solomon as its author. It seems clearly to allude to Solomon, but the person whose words make up the bulk of the book is called 'Qohelet'. No-one with this name is known and, in fact, it's not even clear that Qohelet is a name - it might indicate some kind of role (hence the rendering 'the preacher' or 'the teacher' in some translations). Moreover, the name appears in different forms in Ecclesiastes, with and without the definite article (i.e., just 'Qohelet' and 'the Qohelet') and with masculine verbs on some occasions and a feminine verb on another occasion ('Qohelet' is used only seven times in total). My argument in this paper is that the name/title given to this person is intended to be a riddle that readers are supposed to engage with and try to 'solve' for themselves.
Although tradition (both Jewish and Christian) ascribes the authorship of Ecclesiastes to the biblical King Solomon, the book never explicitly claims Solomon as its author. It seems clearly to allude to Solomon, but the person whose words make up the bulk of the book is called 'Qohelet'. No-one with this name is known and, in fact, it's not even clear that Qohelet is a name - it might indicate some kind of role (hence the rendering 'the preacher' or 'the teacher' in some translations). Moreover, the name appears in different forms in Ecclesiastes, with and without the definite article (i.e., just 'Qohelet' and 'the Qohelet') and with masculine verbs on some occasions and a feminine verb on another occasion ('Qohelet' is used only seven times in total). My argument in this paper is that the name/title given to this person is intended to be a riddle that readers are supposed to engage with and try to 'solve' for themselves.
Ingram, Doug. "What Is a 'University'? What Are We Preparing Our Students to Progress Into?". Journal of the Foundation Year Network 1, no. 1 (2018): 135-59. https://jfyn.co.uk/index.php/ukfyn/article/view/28.
In this article, I explore the history of universities in England, reflecting on how many of the issues universities face today effectively re-hash challenges that the 'University' has faced through the centuries - although these take on a new relevance in an age when the number of students has increased to nearly 50% of the population and the numbers of universities has increased exponentially in recent years. The article is a rewrite of a paper I presented at the Foundation Year Network annual conference at University of Nottingham in 2018. I conducted a survey during that presentation and, following this 'history', the paper provides the key results from that survey and reflects on their significance in light of the history of English universities.
In this article, I explore the history of universities in England, reflecting on how many of the issues universities face today effectively re-hash challenges that the 'University' has faced through the centuries - although these take on a new relevance in an age when the number of students has increased to nearly 50% of the population and the numbers of universities has increased exponentially in recent years. The article is a rewrite of a paper I presented at the Foundation Year Network annual conference at University of Nottingham in 2018. I conducted a survey during that presentation and, following this 'history', the paper provides the key results from that survey and reflects on their significance in light of the history of English universities.
These are some of the book reviews I've written over the years.
- Ingram, Doug. "Review of O'Dowd, Ryan, The Wisdom of Torah: Epistemology in Deuteronomy and the Wisdom Literature (FRLANT, 225; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2009)." Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 11 (2011).
- Ingram, Doug. "Peter Enns, Ecclesiastes." Theology 116, no. 4 (2013): 290-91.
- Ingram, Doug. "Review of Weeks, Stuart, Ecclesiastes and Scepticism (LHBOTS, 541; New York: T & T Clark, 2012)." Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 13 (2013).
- Ingram, D. N. "Review of Mette Bundvad, Time in the Book of Ecclesiastes." Review of Biblical Literature (2016).
YouTube videos:
- Doug Ingram. "Why Study the Old Testament?"
- Doug Ingram. "Why Study Theology in the Arts and Humanities?"
- Doug Ingram. "Why Study the Book of Ecclesiastes?"
- Doug Ingram. "Why Study the Book of Jonah?"
