The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms

by William P. Brown

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

, 2014

Overview

The Psalms—the longest and most complex book in the Bible—is a varied collection of religious poetry, the product of centuries of composition and revision. It is the most transcribed and translated book of the Hebrew Bible. Intended for both scholar and student, The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms features a diverse array of essays that treat the Psalms from various perspectives. Beginning with an overview of the Psalms that touches on the history of scholarship and interpretation, the volume goes on to explore the Psalms as a form of literature and a source of creative inspiration, an artifact whose origins remain speculative, a generative presence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and a still-current text that continues to be read and appropriated in various ways. Classical scholarship and traditional approaches as well as contextual interpretations and practices are well represented. The Handbook’s coverage is uniquely wide-ranging, covering everything from the ancient Near Eastern background of the Psalms to contemporary liturgical usage. This volume offers a dynamic introduction into an increasingly complex field and will be an indispensable resource for all students of the Psalms.

Key Features

• Represents diverse approaches, theories, and disciplines
• Points to future trajectories of research on the Psalms
• Offers vast bibliographical coverage of past and present scholarship

Contents

• Ancient Near Eastern Backgrounds
• Language of the Psalms
• Translating Psalms
• Composition of the Psalms
• History of Interpretation and Reception: A Sampling
• Interpretive Approaches
• Culturally Based Interpretations
• Theologies of the Psalms
• Anthropologies of the Psalms
• Practicing the Psalms

Praise for the Print Edition

This volume is intended for both scholar and student, and I find this volume to be valuable for both of its designed audiences.

—JESOT

This volume is a fine achievement by its editor and its many contributors....This reviewer is delighted and grateful to have the volume within reach on the shelves of his study.

—Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology

Product Details

• Title: The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms
• Author: William P. Brown
• Series: Oxford Handbooks
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Print Publication Date: 2014
• Logos Release Date: 2021
• Pages: 661
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. Psalms › Criticism, interpretation, etc
• ISBNs: 9780199783335, 0199783330
• Resource ID: LLS:OXFORDHBKPSALMS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:34:22Z

About William P. Brown

William P. Brown is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary. He has published numerous works, including Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor and Ecclesiastes in the Interpretation series. He also serves on the editorial board for the esteemed Old Testament Library series, published by Westminster John Knox Press.