Psalms, The

the long version

The Psalms: An Introduction is a concise literary, historical, theological, and spiritual introduction for graduate students, including seminarians, to what is arguably the most popular book of the Old Testament. Part I of The Psalms explains such general issues as titles, numbering, collections, classification, context, poetic structure, language, main theological ideas, and Christian appropriation. Part II studies eleven major categories of psalms classified according to their literary genre. The book's division into twelve chapters makes it appropriate for adoption in a one-semester course. In addition, each chapter covers a well-defined classification of psalms and invites the reader to analyze a psalm in that classification. Thus The Psalms engages readers in active participation and understanding of the Bible's most enduring book of prayer. (Back cover).