Psalms

Catalog description

Taught by JST. The Psalms have nourished the spiritual and theological life of the Christian and Jewish communities for centuries. Their vitality is manifest in liturgy/worship, in theological studies, in personal spirituality. This course will pursue such connections by studying psalms as part of the Old Testament and ways in which psalms impact the life of the early Christian writings in the New Testament. We will explore different "types" of psalms, moods of sadness and joy, hope and disappointment in them. Other literary questions, including their "ordering" in the Book of Psalms will contribute to our study. Course will explore spirituality of the Psalter by considering: relationship to individual and communal prayer, worship, music, and the Sunday lectionary, and history of Psalm reception in Jewish and Christian communities of faith. Course is designed primarily for ministry students ("praxis" course for JST MDiv students). Lectures/discussions; midterm exams papers. [One course in Biblical Studies/Old Testament; Faculty Consent required; 20 max enrollment; Auditors with faculty permission]