Psalms: Exegetical and Theological Study (BA3020P)

Content

This unit will introduce the Book of Psalms, and study the formation and development of the Psalter. It will give attention to the various forms of the Psalms, their setting and their functions within the historical experience of Israel. The course also seeks to provide critical knowledge of the theology inherent in the Psalms and explore the relevance, use and functions of the Psalms in today’s context.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

15 points of Old Testament Study

Pedagogy

Lectures, Seminars and Tutorials

Indicative Bibliography

• Allen, L. C., Psalms 101–150, WBC, Waco, Texas: Word, 1987
• Brown, William P. (Ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms. OUP, 2014. (recommended for purchase)
• Brueggemann, W and Billinger Jr, William H. Psalms. New Cambridge Bible Commentary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. (recommended for purchase)
• Craigie, P. C., Psalms 1–50, WBC, Waco, Texas: Word. 1983.
• deClaisse-Walford, N. L., Introduction to the Psalms, St Louis: Chalice, 2004.
• Gerstenberger, E., Psalms 1–60 with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry, Part 1, FOTL, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988
• _____________, Psalms and Lamentations, Part 2, FOTL, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.
• Gillingham, S. E., The Psalms through the Centuries, Volume 1, Oxford: Blackwell, 2008.
• Jacobson, Rolf A. (ed.) Soundings in the Theology of Psalms: Perspectives and Methods in Contemporary Scholarship. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2011 (recommended for purchase)
• Tate, M., Psalms 51–1000, WBC, Waco, Texas: Word, 1990.

Assessment