Psalms

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

As the prayer book of the Bible, the Psalter gives expession to the other side of a dialogue initiated by the Living God, articulating the response of the faith and the hope(s) elicited from the people of God in their long and arduous pilgrimage. The objective of this course will be to acquire a deeper understanding of this anthology of inspired pieces through exegetical and theological inquiry, tracking the religious themes and exploring the spirituality it voices as well its reception in developing contexts of faith—including its canonical shape. As lyric expressions of religious experience, the Psalms will also yield to an examination of their different literary forms and poetic styles. Selected Psalms showcasing the various features will be explored in greater detail. Accompanying this study will be a comparative and contrastive examination of the Psalms’ nearest analogues outside of Ancient Israel—specifically, those of Assyria, Babylonia, and Sumer. This look at Mesopotamian compositions will allow for some appreciation of the broader context in which the Psalter was forged and thus provide a backdrop against which to hear and appreciate the Psalms’ unique and enduring role in the public and private prayer of the community of faith.