Limburg, James. Psalms for Sojourners (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002) pages xiii, 128.
James Limburg is known for his two major works; the commentary on Psalms in the Westminster Bible Companion Series and that on Jonah in the Old Testament Library Series.
Psalms for the Sojourners is a simple introduction to the book of Psalms without intimidating jargons and does not require any specialized training in the area. Limburg takes examples of each type of Psalms and illustrates the relevance of each of these poems. In this book Limburg has very aptly closed the gap that is there between Psalms scholarship and the ordinary person in the pews. The most commendable thing is that he does it without compromising valuable academic insights but also not being very patronizing. In fact he harnesses scholarship for the service of those sojourners. Sojourners for Limburg are those who consider their life as a pilgrimage. He believes that the Psalms, “… address the days of our own lives, in times of hurting as well as times of happiness, helping us to learn how to pray and also how to praise.”
The message of the Psalms are made very clear and is significance for all of us in the modern world is evident in this treatment of selected Psalms. The style is anecdotal. The author tries to bring his point home by referring to stories from his life and of others. Such real life illustrations makes the message so relevant and something from which the readers can not run away from.
The format of this small book is as inviting and unthreatening as its content. All those who love the Bible and particularly the Book of Psalms will find it reading this book exciting, relieving and building.
Limburg. PSALMS FOR SOJOURNERS (2002)
Jacobson. SOUNDINGS IN THE THEOLOGY OF PSALMS (2011)
Jacobson, Rolf, (ed). Soundings in the Theology of Psalms: Perspectives and Methods in Contemporary Scholarship. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780800697396.
This volume of eight essays by noted Old Testament scholars is the outcome of the ‘Book of Psalms Section’ of the 2008 SBL meeting in the expanded and revised form. However, the papers of the SBL session were complemented by other solicited essays and reprint of Walter Brueggemann’s essay. This volume also has an ecumenical flavour since scholars from various traditions like Wesleyan, Catholic, Baptist, and Lutheran have joined the group that is predominantly Reformed.
The first essay by Walter Brueggemann is a reprint (‘The Psalms and the Life of Faith: A Suggested Typology of Function’). Based on Paul Ricoeur approach Brueggemann suggests ‘the sequence of orientation-disorientation-reorientation’ to understand the use and function of Psalms.
In the second essay, Harry P. Nasuti (‘God at Work in the Word: A Theology of Divine-Human Encounter in the Psalms’) argues that just as the description of God is a valid theological method in approaching the Psalms, an equally important method is to see the relationship between God and the believing communities. He argues that this relational aspect underlies the approaches that highlight ‘righteousness’ and the ‘righteous’ as the focal point of the Psalms.
Jerome F.D. Creach in his essay ‘The Destiny of the Righteous and the Theology of the Psalms’ argues that concern for the life and the destiny of the righteous is a common theme of the Psalter that allows it to be read as book. Moreover, this theme also provides the theological context for other themes such as reign of God, justice and peace. The exploration on the methodolody and themes of the Psalter continues in the essay by J. Clinton McCann Jr. ‘The Single Most Important Text in the Entire Bible: Toward a Theology of the Psalms.’ He very convincingly argues that Psalm 82 is ‘crucially important for understanding the Psalms and especially for beginning to move toward a theology of the book of Psalms.’ He takes his cue from Dominic Crossan who remarked that, Psalm 82 is ‘the single most important text in the entire Christian Bible.’ He also suggests that in the context of violence, injustice and inequalities that we witness in our world today, Psalm 82 is very relevant for our times.
Violence and curses in the Psalms are the concerns of some of the essays as is the case of the essay by Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford ‘The Theology of the Imprecatory Psalms.’ She argues that the so called imprecatory Psalms are very much part of the Jewish and Christian canon. ‘We cannot summarily dismiss the imprecatory psalms and banish them to the periphery of the canon. They are integral part of the words of the Psalmists, rendered by their inclusion in the canon as the words of God and embraced by millennia of the faithful as part of the Scripture.’ Her persuasive arguments in favour of the imprecatory psalms end with how they can be incorporated in our worship.
The same tone is maintained in the essay, ‘Saying Amen to Violent Psalms: Patterns of Prayer, Belief, and Action in the Psalter’ by Joel M. LeMon. He helps us to understand the violent imageries of the Psalms. This essay explores the ethical implications of the Psalms that have violent tones.
The last two essays are again on the methodology of doing a theology of Psalms. In ‘“The Faithfulness of the Lord Endures Forever”: The Theological Witness of the Psalter’ Rolf Jacobson suggests that the dominant vision of the Psalms is the faithfulness of the Lord. His essay is to elaborate on this theme which he thinks plays the central role in the Psalter. He explores the semantics, genre of Psalms where this theme is used, faithfulness as experienced in the history, means of God’s faithfulness, etc sufficient to convince us that the theology of Psalms can be centered around this.
In the last essay ‘Rethinking the Enterprise: What Must Be Considered in Formulating a Theology of the Psalms?’ Beth Tanner, helps us to understand the whole enterprise of biblical theology in general and theology of Psalms in particular. Tanner begins with the nature of Biblical Theology and the ways of doing it. She affirms that, ‘… at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the biblical theological enterprise has become contextual, and thus canonical, transitory and pluralistic.’ She also insists that in doing a theology of Psalms its poetic nature should be given due place. She goes on to insights from neurosciences about the role of poetry in human emotions and behavior should be considered in doing the theology of Psalms. ‘The Psalms reach places in both the brain and the heart that other genres do not.’ Tanner’s explorations thus are really daring!
This volume like other titles in the series pushes the edges of Psalms study further towards new horizons. All the essays are equally illuminative and take the readers to a new level of understanding the Book of Psalms, fresh, insightful and innovative.
Everist. DIFFICULT BUT INDISPENSIBLE CHURCH (2002)
Everist, Norma Cook, Ed. The Difficult but Indispensable Church. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002.
The church has always been difficult. There are dissensions, power struggles, blame games and we find it very difficult to be the church. Increasing individualism tend to make us believe that being together as church is not indispensable. This book percieves the church as a community centered in Christ and argues that such a community is real and indispensable for life.
The Church has always been difficult. There are dissensions, power struggles, blame and we find it very difficult to be the church. Increasing individualism tend to make us believe that being together as church is not indispensable. This book perceives the church as a community centered in Christ and argues that such a community is real and indispensable for life.
The book looks at the indispensability of the church from four angles dividing the book in to four parts titled, “Personhood in Community: Indispensability in Christ”, “The Church’s Heart: The Indispensable Power of Christ”, “The Church of God in Motion: The Indispensability of Mission” and “The Church of all People: The Indispensable Challenge”. All the twenty-one chapters of the book written by the Faculty of Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.
The book is a very useful reading for all those who are struggling with the question if the church would survive beyond the 21st century. This will definitely challenge our notions of the nature and mission of the church.
Anderson. CONTOURS OF OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY (1999)
Anderson, Bernhard W. Contours of Old Testament Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999 pages ix, 357
In the first section titled “Preliminary Considerations” Anderson discusses issues like the place of the Old Testament in the Christian Bible, and the relative independence of the Old Testament. He then does a thorough survey of the problems in writing theology of the Old Testament by examining the contributions made by main figures in the field. This survey begins with Gabler and winds it way through the works of Hoffman, Terrein, Eichrodt, von Rad, and the most recent, Brueggemann. The conclusion of this survey is that we are in a period of uncertainty in biblical theology scholarship. He cashes on this uncertainty because it is the opportune time for experimenting in this area.
In the first section titled “Preliminary Considerations” Anderson discusses issues like the place of the Old Testament in the Christian Bible, and the relative independence of the Old Testament. He then does a thorough survey of the problems in writing theology of the Old Testament by examining the contributions made by main figures in the field. This survey begins with Gabler and winds it way through the works of Hoffman, Terrein, Eichrodt, von Rad, and the most recent, Brueggemann. The conclusion of this survey is that we are in a period of uncertainty in biblical theology scholarship. He cashes on this uncertainty because it is the opportune time for experimenting in this area.
He then offers his own “experimental Approach” to the Old Testament theology. This experimental approach involves, synthesis (an emphasis on the final canonical form), which he think is the shift this discipline has taken in the last thirty years. He acknowledges his indebtedness to the Canonical Approach of B. S. Childs as his concern is the final shape of the canon. However, he also wants to acknowledge the diversity of Old Testament material. He considers that the Torah is the centre of the Old Testament canon and he builds his theology with God of Torah, the Holy One of Israel as the starting point. However, he want to avoid the mistake of the previous generations of scholars who tried to squeeze everything to a central theme, but allows for diversity. He also wants to avoid extreme literalism and extreme historicism since the Old Testament is world construed by poetic imagination. He thus takes clue from the covenant patterns of symbolization in the Old Testament. His methodology also pays attention to the continuity and discontinuity between the two testaments.
In Part I, he discusses, Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel. This includes discussions on how Israel experienced the Holy, the Name of God, the Characterization of Yahweh, Yahweh and other Gods and finally the People of God. Part II elaborates on Yahweh’s covenants with Abraham, Moses, and David. Part III is on the crisis of the covenant theologies. He then discusses two lines of development in the third part; one line from the Torah to Wisdom and the other from Prophecy to Apocalyptic.
The conclusion discusses the link between the Old and New testaments by presenting the apocalyptic triumph of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest and King.
There are two appendices, one a course Précis on Biblical Theology of the Old Testament and the other a tribute to George Ernest Wright, to whom this book is presented. This is titled “The Relevance of Biblical Archaeology to Biblical Theology: A Tribute to George Ernst Wright.”
This book is not yet another addition to the list of Old Testament Theologies written in the 20th century but a book that marks a change in direction of the discipline. It is a book that tries to avoid the mistake of previous generations, but still trying to discover the coherence of the Old Testament literature. It is new, useful and original in its presentation.
Hens-Piazza. NEW HISTORICISM (2002)
Hens-Piazza, Gina. The New Historicism (Guides to Biblical Scholarship, Old Testament Series: Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002).
The series titled “Guides to Biblical Scholarship” from Fortress Press has now been accepted as the most affordable, concise textbook series on the various approaches to Biblical studies. The present volume on New Historicism is the timeliest addition to the series since New Historicism as a relatively new discipline is making its impact on Biblical Studies worldwide.
The format is same as that of the previous volumes: Definition and explanation of the approach under discussion, its history of development and entry into Biblical Studies, examples of the approach and then a critical evaluation of the method. Hens-Piazza tells us in this volume what is New Historicism and how is it different from Historicism. She also tells us in what ways it is unique among other approaches to the Bible or what is its contribution. Though, New Historicism is an approach which claims itself to be above the restrictions of any particular methodology but a mindset, she delineates the salient and recurring characteristics of this approach for those who are still eager to know its “methodology”. The three examples of New Historicist approach to the Bible illustrate and clarify this new approach to the study of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament.
The claim of the publisher that, “With lucid and jargon-free description, this study sets forth New Historicism for the nonspecialist” is definitely justified.
The series titled “Guides to Biblical Scholarship” from Fortress Press has now been accepted as the most affordable, concise textbook series on the various approaches to Biblical studies. The present volume on New Historicism is the timeliest addition to the series since New Historicism as a relatively new discipline is making its impact on Biblical Studies worldwide.
The format is same as that of the previous volumes: Definition and explanation of the approach under discussion, its history of development and entry into Biblical Studies, examples of the approach and then a critical evaluation of the method. Hens-Piazza tells us in this volume what is New Historicism and how is it different from Historicism. She also tells us in what ways it is unique among other approaches to the Bible or what is its contribution. Though, New Historicism is an approach which claims itself to be above the restrictions of any particular methodology but a mindset, she delineates the salient and recurring characteristics of this approach for those who are still eager to know its “methodology”. The three examples of New Historicist approach to the Bible illustrate and clarify this new approach to the study of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament.
The claim of the publisher that, “With lucid and jargon-free description, this study sets forth New Historicism for the nonspecialist” is definitely justified.