Encountering the Book of Psalms: A Literary and Theological Introduction (Encountering Biblical Studies) [Hardcover]

C. Hassell Bullock (Author)

Book Description

Series: Encountering Biblical Studies | Publication Date: November 2001

According to author Hassell Bullock, "No collection of poems has ever exercised as much influence on the Western world as the Book of Psalms." The attraction for Jews, Christians, as well as nonbelievers is surely the personal element that pervades these poems, which describe the human situation in all its complexity. Though the Psalms are perhaps the most familiar portion of the Hebrew Bible, they are also among the most difficult to interpret. As a result, Bullock has created this guide to introduce students to the study and interpretation of the Psalms.

Encountering the Book of Psalms begins by examining literary and hermeneutical dimensions. Bullock discusses the nature, structure, and authorship of the Psalter and provides readers with specific principles for interpretation. He goes on to examine the use of Psalms in worship from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. He further explores how the psalmists used historical reflection to serve their theological purposes and concludes with an investigation of different types of psalms (e.g., praise, lament, and wisdom).

Like other volumes in the Encountering Biblical Studies series, Encountering the Book of Psalms is designed for classroom use and includes a number of helpful features, including chapter objectives and outlines, sidebars, charts, and illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

C. Hassell Bullock (Ph.D., Hebrew Union College) is Franklin S. Dyrness Professor of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College. He is the author of An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books and coeditor of The Literature and Meaning of Scripture.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801022452
• ISBN-13: 978-0801022456
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,317,733 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, June 10, 2008

By 

James E. Allman "Grace man" (Rowlett, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encountering the Book of Psalms: A Literary and Theological Introduction (Encountering Biblical Studies) (Paperback)

When I first picked this book up, I was met with material far beyond my expectations. The book is one of the finest introductions to the book of Psalms available. I have used it as a textbook on the graduate level, and even doctoral students finde it helpful and meaningful. It is quite appropriate for the general Christian reader and for a college text. It is not a commentary, but a general introductin to the Psalms, covering all of the issues that oen needs to know in order to interpret and understand this profoundly important book of the Bible.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top-quality book on Psalms Studies, October 5, 2011

By 

C. H. Cobb (Greenville, OH United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Encountering the Book of Psalms: A Literary and Theological Introduction (Encountering Biblical Studies) (Paperback)

This is an excellent, single-volume, introduction to the Psalms. The author writes from a thoroughly conservative standpoint, but at appropriate junctures demonstrates his awareness of liberal speculations scattered throughout the recent history of Psalms studies that arise from the various schools of higher criticism. Although he deals with these respectfully and intelligently, he ultimately dismisses them and moves into a scholarly examination of the content of the psalms themselves. Overall, the text is college level but should not be found difficult by readers with a solid high-school education. The pedagogy of the text is excellent: each chapter opens with an outline of the chapter and a set of objectives for the student. The chapter closes with a list of key terms encountered, as well as questions for further study. The book can be used very profitably for individual or group study settings.

Bullock divides his examination of the psalms into three major pieces. The first part deals with the literary and hermeneutical issues of psalms studies. Captions (superscriptions) and the difficult terms found in some of them, the relationship of the psalms to music, the literary structure of the book on a macro level (the five books within the Psalms) and micro level (the structure of Hebrew poetry) are all considered in a scholarly but accessible manner.

In the second section, the author examines the uses of the psalms in worship and faith, considering the different ways in which they can be approached, as well as a history of the use of the psalms, ranging from the original readers through to modern times. Bullock also explores key theological and historical themes that appear in Psalms.

In the final section, the Psalms are considered from the perspective of genre classification. This section is outstanding; the busy pastor or scholar will find plenty of helpful charts that map the genre characteristics to individual psalms. Not only has Bullock presented an excellent approach to classification, he has managed to do so in a manner that is sometimes richly devotional for the reader. Of particular excellence is the final chapter dealing with the imprecatory psalms.

The book concludes with a select bibliography, a handy glossary of terms encountered in psalms studies, and a comprehensive Scripture index. Although serious scholars will need to add more books than this to their Psalms library, if you can afford but one book of prolegomena on the Psalms, this one will serve you very well.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Encountering the book of Psalms, April 30, 2011

By 

milindapanama - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encountering the Book of Psalms: A Literary and Theological Introduction (Encountering Biblical Studies) (Paperback)

This book was required for my Psalm class is why i bought it. I personally do not find this book very helpful compared to the book of Psalms from Kidner.
Ivonne