OT3110 S6 Psalms and Wisdom Literature: Psalms
Instructor: Frederick J. Gaiser
Spring 2005 (Half course)
Office: GH 203; Phone: 641-3210
Office hours: By appointment; Home phone: 646-3484
Catalog Description
A study of the Psalter. The psalms are classified, the theological implications of the forms are evaluated, and as many of the psalms are examined as possible. Special attention is given to contemporary responses to the word of God in the Psalms.
Goals (What do we want to accomplish?)
1. Read the psalms
2. Learn to read the psalms competently for ourselves and others
3. Appreciate and evaluate how others have read the psalms
4. Practice close reading of the psalms
5. Consider ways to use psalms in Christian teaching, preaching, worship, pastoral care, and devotional life
Required Books
The biblical book of Psalms
One major Psalms commentary:
Either: James L. Mays, Psalms (Interpretation), 1994.
Or: J. Clinton McCann, Jr., "The Book of Psalms," in The New Interpreter's Bible, vol. 4, 1996, 641-1280.
Sally A.
Brown and Patrick D. Miller, eds., Lament: Reclaiming Practices in Pulpit, Pew,
and
Eugene Peterson, Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer, 1989.
Claus Westermann, The Psalms: Structure, Content, and Message, 1980.
Expectations
Students are expected to be regular in attendance at lectures and preceptorials, to have spent some time with the primary announced text(s) for class sessions, to have read all assigned material, to engage actively in discussion, and to hand in papers or post online contributions on or by the day assigned. Because of their timely relation to the progress of the course, late papers will be downgraded.
Schedule of Lectures and Preceptorials
Oct 31 (2 hrs) Introductory matters (Ps 111); Introduction to Hebrew poetry (Ps 8)
Nov 3/4 Introduction to Hebrew poetry (cont.)
Read Adele Berlin, "Introduction to Hebrew Poetry," in The New
Interpreter's Bible, vol. 4, 301-315 (library reference room).
Nov 7 (2 hrs) Class will not meet
Read Westermann, The Psalms: Structure, Content, and Message, to
prepare for this week's preceptorial assignment. Your goal is to understand
the various literary forms of the biblical psalms.
Nov 9/10 The literary forms of the psalms—implications for contemporary reading and use prepare an order of service for an occasion to be determined by you, based on the structure and content of a particular biblical psalm. Indicate the nature of the occasion, the rationale for choosing the psalm and the form, the order of service itself, and a brief commentary on how you understand the flow and goal of the service and the role of the psalm therein (two to three pages, DUE AT THE TIME OF THE PRECEPTORIAL).
Nov 14 (2 hrs) Psalms as literature of human experience; psalms as poetry (Ps 77)
Psalms as book of the Bible (Pss 1-2)
Psalms as worship texts (Ps 24)
Nov 16/17 Repeat the exercise described for last week's preceptorial, using a different psalm and genre from the one chosen above.
Nov 28 (2 hrs)
Ps 22
Ps 23
Ps 46
Prepare a two-to-three-page paper on one of these psalms in which you concentrate on the text of the psalm itself (rather than on background commentary), looking perhaps at its form or literary structure or poetic images or theological content and making some comments on the significance of your observations for the church's use and understanding of the psalm. This need not be a formal paper or finished product. It might, for example, consist of notes or markings on a copy to the text of the psalm, followed by your interpretation and comments on your notations. Read carefully, and be creative! (DUE AT CLASS TIME.)
Dec 1/2 Read Peterson, Answering God, by this
date. Write some
suggestions for the use of psalms in Christian devotional life (two to three
pages,
DUE AT THE TIME OF THE PRECEPTORIAL).
Dec 5 (2 hrs)
Ps 51
Ps 90
Ps 107
Prepare a paper on one of these psalms (see Nov. 28 assignment).
Dec 8/9 Your congregation will be focusing on psalms in an evening Bible study
series. You have decided to write for the group leaders your own introductions
to the chosen psalms in which you intend to offer significant exegetical and
theological insights for Christian faith and life at a level appropriate to
congregational use. Write one such introduction to a psalm of your choice
(two to three pages, DUE AT THE TIME OF THE PRECEPTORIAL).
Dec 12 (2 hrs)
Ps 103
Ps 104
Ps 110
Prepare a paper on one of these psalms (see Nov. 28 assignment).
Dec 15/? Psalms in Christian Perspective
Having read Brown and Miller, Lament, think similarly about the place of psalms of narrative praise or songs of thanksgiving ("testimonies") in Christian worship. (Some have suggested that for those who emphasize a theology of the cross, songs of praise and thanksgiving, because of their potential for producing a "theology of glory," present more theological pitfalls than laments.) Write a brief essay (perhaps four to six pages) on "Psalms of Praise: The Pitfalls and the Promise," in which you consider some theological implications—including both positive and potentially negative aspects—for Christian life and worship. Be specific in your reference to particular psalms or your use of one particular psalm in more detail; make suggestions for what you would consider proper use of these psalms in Christian worship and Christian devotional life. DUE AT TIME OF PRECEPTORIAL.
Online Component
Students will read the book of Psalms and reflect together online on their reading. Each student will post a reflection on the week's psalm and also a response to the student who has posted immediately before him or her. (The first student to post will respond later to the last student in the group.)
By Nov 3
Read Book I of the Psalter (Pss 1-41).
Post a reflection on one of the psalms in this section. Your observations should be personal, but should also reflect the context of this course and its goals.
By Nov 10
Read Book II of the Psalter (Pss 42-72), and post a reflection on one of these psalms.
By Nov 17
Read Book III of the Psalter (Pss 73-89), post a reflection on one of these psalms.
By Dec 1
Read Book IV of the Psalter (Pss 90-106), and post a reflection on one of these psalms.
By Dec 8
Read Book V of the Psalter (Pss 107-150), and post a reflection on one of these psalms.
Alternative Assignments
Students who have done previous work on psalms or who, for other reasons, would find
alternatives to some of the assignments to be useful should talk with the instructor.
Grading
Grading will be based on written assignments, online contributions, and level of class
participation. Students must satisfactorily complete each assignment to pass the course.
Brief Selected Bibliography (books marked with an asterisk are on reserve in the library)
A. A. Anderson, Psalms 1-72; Psalms 73-150 (New Century Bible), 1972
Bernhard
Rainer Albertz, A History of Israelite Religion in the Old Testament Period, 2 vols., 1994
John J. Astelot and Aelrod Cody,
"Religious Institutions of
Samuel Balentine, Prayer in the Hebrew Bible, 1993
Samuel Balentine, The Torah's Vision of Worship, 1999
Adele Berlin, "Introduction to Hebrew Poetry," in The New Interpreter's Bible, vol. 4 (1996), 301-315
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, 1970
*Sally A. Brown
and Patrick D. Miller, eds., Lament: Reclaiming Practices in Pulpit, Pew, and
William P. Brown, Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor, 2002
Walter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms, 1984
Walter Brueggemann, Worship in
Ancient
Peter Craigie, Psalms 1-50; Marvin Tate, Psalms 51-100; Leslie Allen, Psalms 101-150 (Word Biblical Commentary), 1983, 1990, 1983
James Crenshaw, The Psalms: An Introduction, 2001
*Robert Davidson, The Vitality of Worship: A Commentary on the Psalms, 1998
*John H. Eaton, The Psalms: A Historical and Spiritual Commentary (reissue), 2006
John Eaton, The Psalms Come Alive, 1984
Frederick Gaiser, Psalms, 1986 (Search Weekly Bible Studies, Unit 13)
William Holladay, The Psalms through Three Thousand Years, 1993
*Denise Dombkowskie Hopkins, Journey through the Psalms (rev. and expanded ed.), 2002
*Hans-Joachim
Kraus, Psalms 1-59; Psalms 60-150; Theology of the Psalms (
*C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, 1958
*
Martin Marty, A Cry of Absence, 1983
James L. Mays, The Lord Reigns: A Theological Handbook to the Psalms, 1994
*James L. Mays, Psalms (Interpretation), 1994
*J. Clinton McCann, Jr., "The Book of Psalms," in The New Interpreter's Bible, vol. 4, 1996, 641-1280; cf. also in this volume, A. Berlin, "Introduction to Hebrew Poetry," 301-315.
J. Clinton McCann, Jr., A Theological Introduction to the Book of Psalms: The Psalms as Torah, 1993
J. Clinton
McCann, Jr. and J. C. Howell, Preaching the Psalms (
Patrick Miller, Interpreting the Psalms, 1986
Patrick Miller, The Religion of
Ancient
Patrick Miller, They Cried to the Lord: The Form and Theology of Biblical Prayer, 1994
Roland Murphy, The Gift of the Psalms, 2000.
*Eugene H. Peterson, Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer, 1989.
*Calvin Seerveld, Voicing God's Psalms (with accompanying CD), 2005
*Marti J. Steussy, Psalms (Chalice Commentaries), 2004
Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel, vol. 2, Religious Institutions, 1965
Artur Weiser, Psalms (Old Testament Library), 1962
Claus Westermann, The Living Psalms, 1989
*Claus Westermann, The Psalms: Structure, Content, and Message, 1980
*Claus Westermann, Praise and Lament in the Psalms, 1981
Lynell Zogbo and Ernst Wendland, Hebrew Poetry in the Bible (esp. pp. 1-60), 2000