Soundings in the theology of Psalms : perspectives and methods in contemporary scholarship

214 Pages·2011·2.465 MB·English

by  Jacobson, Rolf A.

An ecumenical chorus of voices on the theology of the Psalter ja
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o
b
The many introductions to the psalms available to readers tend to focus on various types and s
o
forms of psalms but overlook different theological approaches to the Psalter. This volume
n
brings together leading psalms scholars from Catholic and Protestant traditions and takes
into account recent scholarship on the history and shape of the Psalter and on the rhetorical
interpretation of the Psalms. s
o
The contributors explore how the interrelations of God, Israel, the nations, and the created u
world are understood across the Psalter and how contemporary readers can best profit from n
the Psalms. The volume speaks both to the enduring importance of the Psalms and to the d
significance of the search for a theology of the Psalter. i
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g
s
Contents
i
Preface n
5. The Theology of the Imprecatory Psalms

Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford t
1. The Psalms and the Life of Faith:
h
A Suggested Typology of Function
6. Saying Amen to Violent Psalms: Patterns e
Walter Brueggemann
of Prayer, Belief, and Action in the Psalter
t
Joel M. LeMon
2. God at Work in the Word: A Theology of h
Divine-Human Encounter in the Psalms
e
7. “The Faithfulness of the Lord Endures
Harry P. Nasuti o
Forever”: The Theological Witness
of the Psalter l
3. The Destiny of the Righteous and the o
Rolf A. Jacobson
Theology of the Psalms
g
Jerome F. D. Creach
8. Rethinking the Enterprise: What Must Be y
Considered in Formulating a Theology
4. The Single Most Important Text in the Entire o
of the Psalms
Bible: Toward a Theology of the Psalms
Beth Tanner f
J. Clinton McCann Jr.
P
s
Soundings: Charting the Currents of Contemporary Scholarship a
l
m
Rolf A. JACobson is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, Saint Paul,
s
Minnesota. He has served as chair of the Society of Biblical Literature Book of Psalms
Section. Jacobson is the editor of Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms
(2008) and Crazy Book: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Biblical Terms (2009).
Religion / Old Testament
SoundingS  in
the theology
of
P
s a l m s
Jacobson D.indd 1 9/7/2010 7:44:43 PM
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SoundingS  in
the theology
of
P
s a l m s
Perspectives and Methods
in Contemporary Scholarship
Rolf A. Jacobson, editor
Fortress Press
Minneapolis
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SOUNDINGS IN THE THEOLOGY OF PSALMS
Perspectives and Methods in Contemporary Scholarship
Copyright © 2011 Fortress Press, an imprint of Augsburg Fortress. All rights
reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this
book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from
the publisher. Visit http://www.augsburgfortress.org/copyrights/ or write to Per-
missions, Augsburg Fortress, Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright
© 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover image: King David by Anthony Armstrong
Cover design: Laurie Ingram
Book design: PerfecType, Nashville, TN
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Soundings in the theology of Psalms : perspectives and methods in contemporary
scholarship / Rolf A. Jacobson, editor.
p. cm.
Chiefly proceedings of the Book of Psalms Section of the Society of Biblical
Literature at the society’s 2008 annual meeting in Boston, Mass.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes.
ISBN 978-0-8006-9739-6 (alk. paper)
1. Bible. O.T. Psalms—Criticism, interpretation, etc.—Congresses. I. Jacob-
son, Rolf A. II. Society of Biblical Literature. Book of Psalms Section. III. Society
of Biblical Literature. Meeting (2008 : Boston, Mass.)
BS1430.52.S63 2008
223'.206—dc22
2010018778
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials, ANSI Z329.48-1984.
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
15 14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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To Diane Jacobson and James Limburg
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Contents
Preface ix
Contributors xiii
1 The Psalms and the Life of Faith:
A Suggested Typology of Function 1
Walter Brueggemann
2 God at Work in the Word:
A Theology of Divine-Human Encounter in the Psalms 27
Harry P. Nasuti
3 The Destiny of the Righteous
and the Theology of the Psalms 49
Jerome F. D. Creach
4 The Single Most Important Text in the Entire Bible:
Toward a Theology of the Psalms 63
J. Clinton McCann Jr.
vii
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viii Contents
5 The Theology of the Imprecatory Psalms 77
Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford
6 Saying Amen to Violent Psalms:
Patterns of Prayer, Belief, and Action in the Psalter 93
Joel M. LeMon
7 “The Faithfulness of the Lord Endures Forever”:
The Theological Witness of the Psalter 111
Rolf Jacobson
8 Rethinking the Enterprise: What Must Be Considered
in Formulating a Theology of the Psalms 139
Beth Tanner
Abbreviations 151
Notes 153
Author Index 189
Biblical Index 193
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Preface
n the preface to his 1528 translation of the Psalter, Martin Luther
I
wrote that the Psalter
might well be called a little Bible. In it is comprehended most
beautifully and briefly everything that is in the entire Bible. It is
really a fine enchiridion or handbook. In fact, I have a notion that
the Holy Spirit wanted to take the trouble himself to compile a
short Bible and book of examples of all Christendom or all saints,
so that anyone who could not read the whole Bible would have
anyway almost an entire summary of it, comprised in one little
book.1
Luther’s oft-quoted description of the Psalter well illustrates both
the ready accessibility of the book of Psalms as well as the deeply
theological nature of its poems. The Psalms—filled with potent
metaphors, raw cries of pain, clear confessions of faith, and joy-
ous songs of praise—have been central to the life of faith because
the people of God have had no trouble finding points of contact
between these poems and their own lives. Moreover, God’s people
have not found those points of connection to be fleeting, shallow,
or disappointing. Once tapped, the theological well of the Psalter
ix
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