This unit engages students with the Psalms as poetic, theological, and liturgical texts that continue to shape prayer within Jewish and Christian traditions. It examines the literary forms, poetic strategies, genres, and editorial shaping of the Psalter, alongside the historical and theological contexts in which the Psalms emerged and were received. Through sustained exegetical engagement with selected psalms, students explore their theological claims, the interpretive challenges posed by these texts, and the implications of translation and use of the Psalms within contemporary worship, spirituality, and communal life.
Unit code: BA9823Z
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 18.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Elective
Unit discipline: Old Testament
Proposing College: St Francis College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Evaluate the literary, historical, and theological features that shape interpretation of the Psalms. |
| 2. | Analyse selected psalms using appropriate exegetical and poetic methods. |
| 3. | Interpret the theological voices of the Psalms in relation to faith, worship, and spiritual formation. |
| 4. | Integrate different interpretive approaches to explain how the Psalms may be used in contemporary contexts. |
This unit requires one foundational unit in Biblical Studies
Synchronous and asynchronous lectures and text-based tutorials
Alter, Robert. The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary. W. W. Norton, 2007.
Brenner-Idan, Athalya, and Gale A. Yee, eds. My Psalm, My Context: Reading Psalms Around the World. T&T Clark, 2024.
Brown, William P., ed. The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Gillingham, Susan E. Psalms through the Centuries. Vol. 1. Blackwell Bible Commentaries. Blackwell, 2008.
Gillingham, Susan E. Psalms through the Centuries. Vol. 2. Blackwell Bible Commentaries. Wiley-Blackwell, 2023.
Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. Psalms 2: A Commentary on Psalms 51–100. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Hermeneia. Fortress Press, 2005.
Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101–150. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Edited by Klaus Baltzer. Hermeneia. Fortress Press, 2011.
McCann, J. Clinton, Jr. “The Shape and Shaping of the Psalter.” In The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms, edited by William P. Brown, 350–365. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Rienstra, Deborah. Swallow’s Nest: A Feminist Reading of the Psalms. Eerdmans, 2003.
Runions, Erin. “Sexual Politics and Surveillance: A Feminist Reading of Psalm 139.” In The Bible and Feminism: Remapping the Field, edited by Yvonne Sherwood, 85–99. Oxford University Press, 2017.
Sherlock, Charles. Australian Anglicans Worship: Performing APBA. ATF Press, 2019.
Stewart, Evan. “Loop, Hook, Pull: Disabled by Design.” Theology Today 80, no. 3 (2023): 215–230.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 0 | 100.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 15 Apr, 2026
Unit record last updated: 2026-04-15 10:11:20 +1000