Psalms (BA2011Y)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

This Unit will cover the history of the study of the Psalms and contemporary interpretative concerns, including poetics and the shape of the Psalter. It will explore the ongoing role of the Psalms in nurturing the human spirit.

Unit code: BA2011Y

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 2

Unit discipline: Old Testament

Delivery Mode: Blended

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

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Learning outcomes

1.

demonstrate a knowledge of the various genres found in the Psalter

2.

show an understanding of the various ways the Psalms have been interpreted over more than 2000 years
3.

apply both diachronic and synchronic methods to the study of specific Psalms
4.

describe the shape of the Psalter and its impact on the meaning of the Psalms
5.

demonstrate awareness of the influence of the Psalms in Jewish and Christian religious and spiritual life throughout the ages and today.

Unit sequence

BA1000Y or the equivalent

Pedagogy

Weekly class: Lectures, group work.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Baltzer, Klaus (ed.). Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2011.
  • Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Psalms: the Prayer Book of the Bible, with introduction by Walter Brueggemann. Minneapolis, MN: Broadleaf Books, 2022.
  • Gillingham, Susan E. Psalms through the Centuries. vol 1. Blackwell Bible Commentaries. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.
  • Goldingay, John Psalms. 3 vols. Baker commentary on the Old Testament wisdom and Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI.: Baker Academic Press, 2006, 2007, 2008.
  • Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar,. & Erich Zenger. Psalms 2: A Commentary on Psalms 51-100. Linda M. Maloney, trans., Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2005.
  • Howard, David M. and Andrew J. Schmutzer, Reading the Psalms Theologically. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2023.
  • Jacobson, Rolf A., ed. Soundings in the Theology of Psalms: Perspectives and Methods in Contemporary Scholarship. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010.
  • Waltke, Bruce K. et al. How to Read and Understand the Psalms. Wheaton, Il: Crossway, 2023.
  • Zenger, Erich. The Composition of the Book of Psalms. Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium 238. Leuven: Peeters, 2010.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Exegesis 1500 35.0
Essay 3000 65.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 28 Jul, 2025

Unit record last updated: 2025-07-28 09:18:07 +1000