Conflict of Faith and Experience in the Psalms: A Form-Critical and Theological Study
Overview
The importance of the Psalms as a testimony of the faith of ancient Israel needs little argument. But how can we open a way into this corpus of ancient poetry, which is so significant for understanding Israel’s faith? The quest for the meaning of the Psalms demands not just “What?” but also “Why?” In this volume, Broyles examines Psalms of lament, Psalms of complaint, and the distress expressed in the Psalms.
Top Highlights
“are the descriptions of distress concrete or metaphoric” (Page 18)
“As noted above, the aim of lament psalms is to obtain something from God. How then did psalmists endeavor to achieve this? How did they argue their case before God? What arguments were considered valid in ancient Israel?” (Page 29)
“A psalmist encounters distress. He interprets that distress. He formulates an appeal appropriate to that interpretation” (Page 16)
“A lament psalm is not lamentation. It does more than simply bemoan current hardship. It seeks change. As H. Gunkel notes, ‘The aim of the lament is to attain something from Yahweh’.” (Page 14)
“We will see below that the strongest point of comparison between these lamenters and the dead is their inability to praise God.” (Page 88)
- Title: Conflict of Faith and Experience in the Psalms: A Form-Critical and Theological Study
- Author: Craig C. Broyles
- Publisher: Sheffield Academic Press
- Publication Date: 1989
- Pages: 272
Craig C. Broyles is Professor of Religious Studies at Trinity Western University.