Scripture and Theology Colloquium - Psalms: Songs of Praise...and Theology?

The Psalms can serve as a treasure trove of single verse or single-phrase jewels. For example, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ (Psalm 23:1) or Dominus illuminatio mea (Psalm 27:1: ‘The Lord is my light’—the motto of Oxford University). That said, most psalms are read all the way through (except for longer psalms such as  Psalm 119), and each psalm is usually considered as a unit. Recent scholarship has tried to make more of how the psalms make up one of the five ‘books' of the Psalms and ultimately the whole Psalter. In both the Jewish and the Christian tradition, the Psalms have been set to be read, performed, and received as inspiration.

The Psalms naturally supply powerful words for meditation, maybe even for reorientation, and music and art can supplement this effect. But if we take a biblical-theological approach by looking to see how certain themes are articulated across the Psalter, perhaps the Psalms exist also for explanation. The wider challenge of how to preach and write commentary on the Psalms as well as how to make the Psalms digestible to modern worshippers will provide the heart of our talks and discussion.

More details about the event itself plus a registration link are on our Scripture and Colloquium page. Please note that registration is discounted for students. Learn more and register here.