Psalms (BA3011Y)

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: BA3011Y (Approved)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Old Testament

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

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Learning outcomes

1.

demonstrate a knowledge of the various genres found in the Psalter and the contribution of poetics to the study of Psalms
2.

show an advanced 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.

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

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

Unit sequence

Pre-requisite: BA 1000Y or equivalent. One second level OT Unit.

Pedagogy

Weekly class: Lectures, group work. Students will engage with Psalm texts, scholarship and each other.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Gerstenberger, Erhard S. Psalms. Part 1: With an Introduction to Cultic Poetry. The Forms of the Old Testament Literature 14. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988.
  • ———. Psalms, Part 2 and Lamentations. The Forms of the Old Testament Literature 15. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001.
  • 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. ___. *Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2011.
  • Jacobson, Rolf A., ed. Soundings in the Theology of Psalms: Perspectives and Methods in Contemporary Scholarship. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010.
  • McCann, J. Clinton, ed. The Shape and Shaping of the Psalter. Journal for the study of the Old Testament. Supplement Series 159. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1993.
  • Schaefer, Konrad. Psalms. Edited by David W. Cotter. Berit Olam. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2001.
  • 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 3500 65.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 11 Sep, 2020

Unit record last updated: 2020-09-11 16:27:03 +1000