Psalms

Reviews

"Kvam and Saliers have given the church a commentary that listens as carefully as it teaches. Their reading of the Psalms is patient, theologically discerning, and alive to the ways these ancient songs continue to address the church amid the questions of our own time. The result is a work of remarkable depth and generosity, one that illuminates the Psalms in ways that are at once intellectually rigorous and spiritually sustaining."

—Melanie C. Ross, Associate Professor of Liturgical Studies, Yale Divinity School and Yale Institute of Sacred Music

"From Augustine and Hildegard to the present day, the most skilled interpreters of the Psalms all share one thing in common—a keen lyrical ear. They have heard how the music of the Psalter resonates with the urgent theological and pastoral issues of the time. They have explored the poetics of prayer, how we cry out to God in faith and doubt, in praise and lament, alone and together. Kvam and Saliers perpetuate this interpretive tradition with exceptional skill and clarity, opening the Psalms for its listeners anew as a mirror and lamp for biblical faith."

—Joel LeMon, The Rev. Dr. Donald Allen Harp, Jr. Distinguished Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

<p>"This Psalms commentary is like no other; it is also the most needed for today. The product of a generative collaboration, Kvam and Saliers’s commentary explores the sacred tensions, musical depth, theological richness and relevance, liturgical power, and dialogical dynamics of the Psalter. The commentary does not shy away from hard questions because the psalmists themselves did the same. Kvam and Saliers offer a 'lyrical theology' of the Psalms, a theology based on aesthetic, affective sensibilities and rooted in a realistic, honest-to-God faith—a truly indispensable resource!"</p>
<p>—William P. Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary</p>
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<p>"Kvam and Saliers open us to new depth in the Psalms as sung prayer. They go beyond the commonplace that the Psalms are musical to the deeper insight that centuries of performance have become part of the history of the Psalms and so part of what they mean for us today. This is not just a theological commentary that attends to music. This is a musical theology of the Psalms."</p>
<p>—Ted A. Smith, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Divinity, Candler School of Theology, Emory University</p>
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"Creative snapshots of everyday human experience, keen theological prompts, and pithy spiritual questions accompany every psalm in this volume. Kvam and Saliers think musically, poetically, and artistically, all of which make for unforgettable conversations you can expect to have with God, your friends, and, best of all, your own soul."

—Peter W. Marty, Editor and Publisher of The Christian Century

"Kvam and Saliers match the polyphony of the Psalter with a complex polyphony of interpretation, bringing the voices of ancients and contemporaries who have prayed and thought about the Psalms into a lively conversation with the complex collection that has so powerfully shaped the minds and hearts of believers. Readers of this commentary will be challenged but never bored, as the authors examine the poetic, musical, ethical, social, and, yes, theological dimensions of the Psalms. The authors— together with the chorus of other voices they have assembled— consistently engage present-day experiences and convictions so that readers can find in the joys and sufferings of the ancient singers resonances with their own."

—Luke Timothy Johnson, Robert W. Woodruff Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Christian Origins, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

"Who is God? Who are we in light of God? Where is God in the midst of suffering, injustice, and trauma? What does it mean to be a people whose lives take the form of interrogation, lament, and praise of the One who creates and redeems the world? This fresh, incisive commentary invites readers into the question-laden lyrical world of the Psalms, not only mining centuries of theological engagement with the Psalter and its impact on Christian liturgies, worship, and doctrine but also modeling how and why Jewish perspectives on this shared Scripture are theologically necessary for Christian engagement today. Through wide-ranging conversation with theologians, biblical scholars, musicians, activists, and more, this commentary creates a compelling case for Christians continuing to sing and pray the Psalms today, illustrating how to serve as a mirror and a lamp in deepening our relationship to God, to one another, and to the precarious and breathtaking world in which we live."

—Deanna Thompson, retired professor, St. Olaf College

"This volume is the perfect companion to the practice of praying the psalms. With fresh insights, the authors engage individual psalms and psalm sequences, exploring their rich emotional landscapes. Particularly insightful are their suggestions on how to read difficult, angry psalms on behalf of the innocent who suffer unjustly. The authors' attentiveness to lectionary contexts and musical settings, as well as their extended reflections, add depths that one does not often find in commentaries on the Psalms."

—Carol A. Newsom, Charles Howard Candler Professor Emerita of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

"Kristen Kvam and Don Saliers, experienced interpreters of theology, preaching, and liturgy, present the impact of the Psalms in churches, synagogues, and other public places as well as the prayer closets of individuals. Their treatment of Psalms brings together a wide range of voices, across time and space, culture and vocation."

—Stephen Breck Reid, retired Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Belonging and Professor of Christian Scriptures, Baylor University

"The lyrical theology of the Psalms sings through these pages! Kvam and Saliers invite us into the deep rhythm of lament and praise that pulsate through the Psalms and where the fullness of human experience finds a voice before God. An essential companion for pastors, worship leaders, musicians, and all who seek authentic conversation with God, this commentary expands our vision of prayer beyond what the contemporary church has often been able—or willing—to hold."

—Antonio Eduardo Alonso, Aquinas Associate Professor of Theology and Culture, Candler School of Theology, Emory University