Brueggemann Walter: The Message of the Psalms- Theological commentary: Augsburg, Minneapolis, Augsburg publishing house, 1984. 206 pp.
Walter Brueggemann is professor of Old Testament at the Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He has authored other books like Prophetic Imagination, Finally comes the Poet, Interpretation and Obedience, An Introduction to Old Testament, and Christian Imagination and The Psalms and the life of Faith.
In this book the author is brings to attention the need to study Psalms and pre-critical study. He assumes the great deposit of critical scholarship that is indispensable for study of the Psalms. The author is dependant on and do take seriously that fund of critical learning. He utilizes a scheme of Orientation, Disorientation and New orientation which he says he does not want them to be straitjacket. The Author tries to show the gain in this book by pointing out to the Psalms of Negativity, i. e. the complains of various kinds, the crisis for vengeance and profound penitence are fundamental to life of faith as one study the Psalms. He drives this point home by saying that the Psalms are profoundly subversive of the dominant culture, which want to deny and cover over the darkness we are called to enter. He argues the Psalms do not permit us to ignore and deny the darkness, personally or publicly, which he observes is where life begins.
Although many readers don’t see this, the author asserts that the Psalms are not only addressed to God. They are a voice of the Gospel, God’s good words addressed to God’s faithful people. In the Psalms literature the community of faith has heard and continues to hear the sovereign speech of God, who meets the community in its depths of need and in its heights of celebration. He observes that the Psalms draws our entire life under the rule of God where everything must be submitted. P 15. The author pursues a post critical reading of the Psalms and considers critical gains made by other scholars like Gunkel, Mowinckel, and Westermann. He bases his discussion on the three general themes mentioned earlier, Poems of orientation, poems of disorientation and poems of new orientation. The author having grouped Psalms in this way he deals with three areas namely, A- Joy Delight, goodness, coherence, etc. These he argues are Psalms that express a confident, serene settlement of faith issues. They are Psalms that describe how things are and indeed always are. P 25. He further says that the function of these Psalms
is to praise and thank God. Which he observes that they become a means in which we see God as the true creator creating the world. B- Ragged pain disarray- here he looks at life as not a straight line. Life is marked by disequilibrium, incoherence, and unrelieved asymmetry p, 51. C- New gift from God and also fresh intrusion that makes all things new. He asserts that from disorientation there is new orientation, the new life when none has been expected. He points out that new orientation is not a return to the old stable orientation. He cites Psalms 30 as a good example here. P, 120.
The author is aware that there can be doubt that Psalms are an important resource for spirituality and have been so for countless generations. He argues that his presentation of the psalms have assumed authentic spirituality. He points out that genuine communion with God is never removed from seasons, turns, and crises or life. The question of theodicy he says is never a narrow religious question. Further he points out that theodicy question cannot be reduced to or contained in a narrow question about God. He asserts threat theodicy operates in time of equilibrium as well as in time of crisis, p 170. The Psalms of disorientation occur and make sense when the consensus about theodicy has collapsed and there is crisis in the order of life. He asserts that at this point the speech is incredibly bold because the speaker has nowhere to address the speech except back to the same agent. The author points out that spirituality by itself is an inadequate basis for reading the Psalms. Like in the Psalms of new orientation, celebrate a new settlement of the issue of theodicy. The crisis is past and there is once again a stable situation for social life. He points out that the Psalms of new orientation speaks about the new state when life is whole and well ordered, when the system is just and when God is known to be righteous and just.
As he draws conclusion on his arguments the author points out that the Psalms are resources for spirituality. He says that the Psalms regularly insist upon equality, power, and freedom enough to live by. p 176. Thus looking at the theological dimension the author provide a clear link among focal comments of the Christian faith and seasons in our life of dying and being raised. He observed that if the Psalms can be understood with the knowing sensitivities, our own use of them will have more depth and significance in the practice of both Jews and Christian forms of biblical faith. The Psalms have the power they have for us because we know life to be that.
As author reviewer of “The Message of Psalms” by Brueggemann, the following observations were made. A- the author reached his audience with the message that he wanted to communicate in the pages of this book the main aim here was to lead his readers to see Psalms a book to be used in the Christian churches for worship as other books are used. He points out that the Psalms are as rich as other books we know in the bible. And his emphasis on the use of Psalms that are not commonly used by the Christian church, i.e. the Lament Psalms. This reviewer agrees with the author that Psalms has not been used the way they are supposed to be used. Observing that many a people feel that using the Lament Psalms many mean to express their doubt and question God. But the author feels that this is important for it strengthens people’s faith. B- that life is full in stages that he calls orientation. It is clear from him that Psalms are not only about the good that there is, but also the bad that life has to offer. This is without doubt for life have both ups and downs. And as the author argues in all these stages of life, God is the one to be relied upon.
However, the following questions would not escape the reviewers mind: Why does the author says what he says? And how well has the author reached his audience? First the reviewer feels that in the eyes of the author the Psalms are neglected piece of literature. He thus puts forth the importance of it so that his readers can start using the Psalm in the pulpit for example. Or say it in another, that although the Psalms have been used, this has been done selectively neglecting some that are very vital in the Christian life. Thus the emphasis to look at the Psalms and use them at all times, i. e disorientation. Secondly, this small book has great impact on those who read it. The reviewer, confesses that it has charged the opinion that he had about the Psalms saying that he find meaning to preach from them including the Lament Psalms. So it is the feeling of the reviewer that author has reached his targeted audience.
Recommendations:
This small book is worthy reading by those people who preach the word of God- for it exposes one on how to approach the situations of people as they come. It will help one to be able to make use of Psalms at all stages of life as they approach. It’s recommended to theological students and all preachers of the good news.
Walter Brueggemann is professor of Old Testament at the Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He has authored other books like Prophetic Imagination, Finally comes the Poet, Interpretation and Obedience, An Introduction to Old Testament, and Christian Imagination and The Psalms and the life of Faith.
In this book the author is brings to attention the need to study Psalms and pre-critical study. He assumes the great deposit of critical scholarship that is indispensable for study of the Psalms. The author is dependant on and do take seriously that fund of critical learning. He utilizes a scheme of Orientation, Disorientation and New orientation which he says he does not want them to be straitjacket. The Author tries to show the gain in this book by pointing out to the Psalms of Negativity, i. e. the complains of various kinds, the crisis for vengeance and profound penitence are fundamental to life of faith as one study the Psalms. He drives this point home by saying that the Psalms are profoundly subversive of the dominant culture, which want to deny and cover over the darkness we are called to enter. He argues the Psalms do not permit us to ignore and deny the darkness, personally or publicly, which he observes is where life begins.
Although many readers don’t see this, the author asserts that the Psalms are not only addressed to God. They are a voice of the Gospel, God’s good words addressed to God’s faithful people. In the Psalms literature the community of faith has heard and continues to hear the sovereign speech of God, who meets the community in its depths of need and in its heights of celebration. He observes that the Psalms draws our entire life under the rule of God where everything must be submitted. P 15. The author pursues a post critical reading of the Psalms and considers critical gains made by other scholars like Gunkel, Mowinckel, and Westermann. He bases his discussion on the three general themes mentioned earlier, Poems of orientation, poems of disorientation and poems of new orientation. The author having grouped Psalms in this way he deals with three areas namely, A- Joy Delight, goodness, coherence, etc. These he argues are Psalms that express a confident, serene settlement of faith issues. They are Psalms that describe how things are and indeed always are. P 25. He further says that the function of these Psalms
is to praise and thank God. Which he observes that they become a means in which we see God as the true creator creating the world. B- Ragged pain disarray- here he looks at life as not a straight line. Life is marked by disequilibrium, incoherence, and unrelieved asymmetry p, 51. C- New gift from God and also fresh intrusion that makes all things new. He asserts that from disorientation there is new orientation, the new life when none has been expected. He points out that new orientation is not a return to the old stable orientation. He cites Psalms 30 as a good example here. P, 120.
The author is aware that there can be doubt that Psalms are an important resource for spirituality and have been so for countless generations. He argues that his presentation of the psalms have assumed authentic spirituality. He points out that genuine communion with God is never removed from seasons, turns, and crises or life. The question of theodicy he says is never a narrow religious question. Further he points out that theodicy question cannot be reduced to or contained in a narrow question about God. He asserts threat theodicy operates in time of equilibrium as well as in time of crisis, p 170. The Psalms of disorientation occur and make sense when the consensus about theodicy has collapsed and there is crisis in the order of life. He asserts that at this point the speech is incredibly bold because the speaker has nowhere to address the speech except back to the same agent. The author points out that spirituality by itself is an inadequate basis for reading the Psalms. Like in the Psalms of new orientation, celebrate a new settlement of the issue of theodicy. The crisis is past and there is once again a stable situation for social life. He points out that the Psalms of new orientation speaks about the new state when life is whole and well ordered, when the system is just and when God is known to be righteous and just.
As he draws conclusion on his arguments the author points out that the Psalms are resources for spirituality. He says that the Psalms regularly insist upon equality, power, and freedom enough to live by. p 176. Thus looking at the theological dimension the author provide a clear link among focal comments of the Christian faith and seasons in our life of dying and being raised. He observed that if the Psalms can be understood with the knowing sensitivities, our own use of them will have more depth and significance in the practice of both Jews and Christian forms of biblical faith. The Psalms have the power they have for us because we know life to be that.
As author reviewer of “The Message of Psalms” by Brueggemann, the following observations were made. A- the author reached his audience with the message that he wanted to communicate in the pages of this book the main aim here was to lead his readers to see Psalms a book to be used in the Christian churches for worship as other books are used. He points out that the Psalms are as rich as other books we know in the bible. And his emphasis on the use of Psalms that are not commonly used by the Christian church, i.e. the Lament Psalms. This reviewer agrees with the author that Psalms has not been used the way they are supposed to be used. Observing that many a people feel that using the Lament Psalms many mean to express their doubt and question God. But the author feels that this is important for it strengthens people’s faith. B- that life is full in stages that he calls orientation. It is clear from him that Psalms are not only about the good that there is, but also the bad that life has to offer. This is without doubt for life have both ups and downs. And as the author argues in all these stages of life, God is the one to be relied upon.
However, the following questions would not escape the reviewers mind: Why does the author says what he says? And how well has the author reached his audience? First the reviewer feels that in the eyes of the author the Psalms are neglected piece of literature. He thus puts forth the importance of it so that his readers can start using the Psalm in the pulpit for example. Or say it in another, that although the Psalms have been used, this has been done selectively neglecting some that are very vital in the Christian life. Thus the emphasis to look at the Psalms and use them at all times, i. e disorientation. Secondly, this small book has great impact on those who read it. The reviewer, confesses that it has charged the opinion that he had about the Psalms saying that he find meaning to preach from them including the Lament Psalms. So it is the feeling of the reviewer that author has reached his targeted audience.
Recommendations:
This small book is worthy reading by those people who preach the word of God- for it exposes one on how to approach the situations of people as they come. It will help one to be able to make use of Psalms at all stages of life as they approach. It’s recommended to theological students and all preachers of the good news.
