sensible discussions • practical questions • theoretical solutions
Reading Psalms Ethically This five-week course recently met in person, but it will soon be offered virtually. This course covers the following topics: Present an overview of the psalms Look at justice in the Psalter Deep dive into some specific psalms to learn about Hebrew Bible poetry, translation & interpretation of scripture, and discover the…
One of the first things I learned in Seminary was that the gap between biblical and theological studies grew wider as scholars specialized. Even the vocabulary and basic assumptions about belief, faith, and the nature of God differed between the two camps. I was raised in a Christian tradition considered “full Gospel,” meaning any belief…
I started working on Psalm 82 more than a decade ago to unpack the relationship between the Divine Council and Earthly justice-seeking councils, like the Council of Elders in the Bible. I quickly discovered that Psalm 82 was a difficult text to unpack, and many scholars disagreed about its origin, its place in the Psalter,…
Genre influences how we read and seek to understand a written word. We respond to something written with implicit bias that helps us make informed judgments about what we read and how we should think about the message of a thing. For example, a general news article presents serious content by describing facts or details…
Psalm 1 implores its reader to meditate day and night on God’s instructions (Torah). The word ‘meditate’ is often associated with Eastern religions, with fewer ties to Western Christianity. However, the Bible brings the concept to the psalms. Psalm one encourages readers to meditate as a prologue in the 150-chapter Psalter. Even though meditation is…
Sometimes reading the Bible can be challenging to keep up. A schedule can help keep you on track and provide a sense of accomplishment. Below are some plans to read at different paces. This list will evolve. Check back for more schedules. Are you looking for a guide to reading the Bible more meaningfully? Take…
The growing trend of using electronic tablets and phones to access information means Bibles are going online in many different formats. If you are looking specifically for audio, visit this list of Audio Bible Recommendations. In the list below, I include some recommendations and descriptions of Bible apps and online Bible resources for reading and…
This week, I presented a summary of research on Psalm 82 at the Oxford Interfaith Forum Psalms in Interfaith Context Reading Group. We had a lively discussion that ranged from identifying the prophetic voice, the mythological provenance, linguistic and poetic features, and extended theological implications. This presentation opened with a reading of Psalm 82 in…
Psalm 82 includes a linguistic emphasis on marginalized people in various levels and types of need. The synonyms for the poor or disadvantaged are extensive in Psalm 82:3-4. It is the densest list of synonyms for the poor in the Hebrew Bible. A study of these terms demonstrated that they appear uniquely ordered in Psalm…
This month’s Oxford Interfaith Forum Monthly Interfaith Psalm Reading & Discussion, hosted by the Oxford Interfaith Forum, was led by Ustadha Yomna Helmy, Centre of Islamic Studies, the University of Cambridge on a Comparative Reading of the Hebrew Bible Psalter and Abraham’s Prayers in the Quran. Two Prayer Texts Dr. Helmy brought us along on…