An Introduction to the Psalms
Published on 24. January 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
168 pages
978-0-567-03028-3 (ISBN)
Description
This accessible introduction to the Psalms introduces readers to some of the key issues arising from different approaches to the biblical text. Alastair G. Hunter examines how current methods of interpretation - historical/cultural, literary, liturgical and theological - differ and complement each other. Hunter provides an overview of contemporary scholarship (including the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls Psalms) and examines some of the key texts and commentaries in use today. The book offers a way in to more detailed and more advanced Psalms study, and includes particular emphasis on literary and liturgical matters, which are often left out of traditional commentaries. Hunter seeks to do two things: to understand the psalms in themselves as deliberately arranged poetical and liturgical compositions; and to explore their literary and theological significance for contemporary readers. He considers the increasing body of work relating to groups of psalms, and reviews the results to date of that approach, which helps the reader to see the psalms as a more coherent collection of texts, and has implications for their exegesis and interpretation.
Reviews / Votes
An Introduction to the Psalms is a refreshingly different addition to many introductions already available. Alastair Hunter brings to this study a wealth of experience in teaching and research, and has the gift of addressing traditional questions about the origin and use of the psalms in a perceptive and original way. Students thinking about the psalms for the first time will find here a useful map to help them discover un-chartered territory; and those who have journeyed through the psalms many times before will find many new vistas and unexpected places of interest. -- Susan Gillingham, Worcester College, Oxford University, UK "The book is an introduction to the study of the Psalter, not a commentary on the psalms themselves. Hunter first explains the five-part structure of the Psalter as well as some of the earlier collections of which it is compromised, collections such as Psalms of David, Psalms of Ascent, etc...The book is a helpful summary of the history of interpretation as well as an overview of contemporary interpretive method." -Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., The Bible Today, November 2008 Review in Theological Book Review, Volume 20, No 2, 2008 Provides some good historical evidence in the literature and liturgical usage, along with some interesting philosophical reflection. -- Concordia Theological Quarterly - 73 "The strength of this work is to offer both a sustained discussion and a critical reflection of the main works on the Psalms... An Introduction to the Psalms provides a useful tool for students starting up in that field." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, June 2009 -- A. Jeffers * Journal for the Study of the Old Testament * Hunter's work would be adequate as a text for upper-level undergraduates to graduate students. -- Joshua E. Stewart, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary * Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Introductory Undergraduate, Upper Level Undergraduate
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
223 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-567-03028-3 (9780567030283)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Content
1. Introduction; 2. The diversity of collections of Psalms; 3. Historical and cultural contexts; 4. Literary approaches; 5. Liturgical approaches; 6. Theological & ethical approaches; 7. Conclusion.