Psalms for Normal People: A Guide to the Most Relentlessly Theological Book in the Bible

by Joshua T. James

Overview

For millennia the psalms have been whispered in prayer, lifted in song, and recited in worship. They are among the most well-known and beloved writings in the Bible. And yet...

Our familiarity with ancient Israel's sacred songs can obscure their strangeness. Their otherness. Their ... well ... ancientness.

Join Joshua T. James as he unpacks the biblical scholarship surrounding this enduring collection of poetry and songs, from the ancient psalmists' cultural, political and theological contexts to the key movements in Psalms' scholarship. By illuminating the oddities hiding in plain sight, James unveils the wonder and mystery inherent in the psalms, and makes a compelling case for their relevance today.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781736468654
Publisher:	The Bible for Normal People
Publication date:	04/17/2023
Series:	The Bible for Normal People Book Series , #5
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	182
File size:	770 KB

About the Author

Joshua T. James (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is one of the pastors of The Restoration Project in Salisbury, Maryland. He also serves as an "Affiliate Assistant Professor of Old Testament" at his alma mater, which is a fancy way of saying, he's very very part-time. Josh lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with his wife, Kate, their two sons, Abe and Jude, and Porter, a beagle who is endlessly plotting his great escape.

Table of Contents

Infomercial

1. Psalms from 30,000 Feet

2. The Book of Psalms is Really Old

3. We Don't Know Who Wrote Psalms

4. The Psalms are Ambiguous

5. The Genres of the Psalms

6. The Psalms are Poetic

7. Reading Psalms as a Mixtape

8. The God(s) of the Psalms

9. Sea Monsters & Dragons

10. "For Yahweh's Acts of Faithfulness Endure Forever"

11. The (Still) Costly Loss of Lament

12. Did People Really Pray for That to Happen?

13. In Psalms, God Is a Warrior & That's OK

14. Lessons in Being Subversive

15. Humanity in Psalms: Somewhere Between Gods & Worms

16. The Psalms & Jesus

Conclusion

Things for Normal People to Read (Or Not ... No Judgment)

Acknowledgments

About this Book