Psalms

Description

This text introduces the book of Psalms and provides an exposition of each psalm with attention to genre, liturgical connections, societal issues and the psalm's place in the book of Psalms as a whole. The treatments of the psalms feature a close look at particular issues raised by the text and the encounters between the world of the psalm and the world of contemporary readers. The exposition of each psalm provides a reader's guide to the text in conversation with relevant theological issues.

Walter Brueggemann is Professor Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and was a past president of the Society of Biblical Literature. His most recent books include Disruptive Grace: Reflections on God, Scripture, and the Church and Journey to the Common Good. William H. Bellinger, Jr, is W. Marshall and Lulie Craig Chairholder in Bible, Chair of the Department of Religion and Professor of Religion at Baylor University. He is author of Psalms: A Guide to Studying the Psalter, 2nd edition, and Psalmody and Prophecy, among other books. Professor Bellinger currently chairs the Steering Committee for the Book of Psalms Section of the Society of Biblical Literature and serves on the editorial board of the Catholic Biblical Quarterly.

'Walter Brueggemann and Bill Bellinger form an impressive team. Both are outstanding interpreters of the Psalms, and together they have produced a commentary that is clear in structure and lucid in style, up to date in scholarship and astute in application - indeed, a compelling introduction for anyone seeking to appreciate the Psalms in their ancient and contemporary settings.' Susan Gillingham, Worcester College, University of Oxford 'Brueggemann and Bellinger provide a powerfully versatile presentation of the Psalms for students and scholars alike. Their commentary deftly covers the classical issues of scholarship and at the same time 'bridges the horizons' of the ancient text and the contemporary reader. Levinas and Calvin, Moltmann and Martin Luther King, Niebuhr and Niebuhr, and so many more are brought into conversation with the ancient words of lament and praise. The result is feasting on the psalmic word.' William P. Brown, Columbia Theological Seminary 'This superb commentary is exactly what one would expect from two of the leading Psalms scholars in the world - excellence! Drawing on the full range of traditional and more recent methods and perspectives, Brueggemann and Bellinger's comments are always theologically insightful, and they consistently engage contemporary issues such as globalization, consumerism, human rights, and religious chauvinism.' J. Clinton McCann, Jr, Eden Theological Seminary '... displays both breadth and depth of scholarship and reflection on the Psalter with equal clarity in layout and thought ... If this were the first, or indeed only, Psalms commentary that were owned and referenced by anyone with an interest in the Psalms, it would be a well-chosen acquisition indeed.' Megan I. J. Daffern, The Journal of Theological Studies 'Preachers and teachers will especially appreciate this commentary on the Psalms. The authors' excellent exegetical work and attention to methodology will help readers to better understand the genre and context of each psalm.' Philip K. Gladden, Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology