The Psalms: Ancient Texts in Today's Contexts

Thursday evenings, January 31 - February 28, 2019
(four sessions; no class on February 14, Valentine's Day)
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
$100

The Psalms contain some of the most ancient and beautiful texts of our tradition, encompassing joy and triumph; anger and grief. This course combines an overview of broader issues in the Psalms with deeper study of individual psalms and examining their poetic features as well as their form and function.

Taught by the Rev. Melody Knowles, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Old Testament at VTS.

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Required Texts
all on reserve at the Bishop Payne Library or in the reference section)

The NRSV or RSV version of the Psalms.
Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary, 2007 or 2009 edition
William P. Brown, Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor, 2002
W. Brueggemann, Psalms and the Life of Faith, 1995

Recommended Texts for Further Reading

Roger Van Harn and Brent Strawn (eds.), Psalms for Preaching and Worship: A Lectionary Commentary, 2009
Ellen Davis, Wondrous Depth: Preaching the Old Testament, 2005
P. D. Miller, Interpreting the Psalms
Stephen Breck Reid, Listening In: A Multicultural Reading of the Psalms, 1997

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