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Finding God in the Psalms: Sing, Pray, Live
Sing, pray, live
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2014
30 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Tom Wright
119 books246 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He also publishes under N.T. Wright.
He also publishes under N.T. Wright.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 7, 2017
This book will really give you some great handles on understand the psalms as a whole. Wright uses three lenses to understand the sweep of the psalms - time, place, and matter.
Those might seem like slightly forced categories, but they really draw out the fact that the Psalms present a coherent, robust, biblical worldview, rooted in the life and scriptures of ancient Israel.
The psalmist's sense of "Time" is that they know God is eternal, whereas we are mortal.
The psalmist's sense of "Place" revolves around a holy land, which revolves around a holy city, which revolves around a holy temple. This was probably my favourite chapter - Wright made me see the (now rather obvious) fact that the psalmists return constantly to thoughts of Jerusalem and the temple when they pray, a fact Christians now often brush over. This was my favourite line in the book: "Again and again the Psalms celebrate, in almost embarassingly vivid language, the belief that the creator of the universe has, for reasons best known to him, decided to take us residence on a small hill in the Judean uplands."
The psalmist's sense of "Matter" is that they know they live in a world created by God, which is destined for the future hope of God's glory in the new creation.
Wright's driving concern is to rightly understand what these psalms meant to the faithful Israelites who first wrote, prayed, and sung them. The more you do that, the richer your understanding of what they mean for you as a Christian now will become.
I disagreed with a few things - mainly underlying assumptions (Wrightt assumes the psalms are mainly from the second temple era, so accordingly isn't that concerned with whether or not David himself was the author of what's attributed to him). But, that's a given with Wright.
Along with some really refreshing personal reflections on his own experiences of the Psalms, it all adds up to a very engaging book that will help you wrap your psalms around the head as a whole by getting to know their context and worldview.
Those might seem like slightly forced categories, but they really draw out the fact that the Psalms present a coherent, robust, biblical worldview, rooted in the life and scriptures of ancient Israel.
The psalmist's sense of "Time" is that they know God is eternal, whereas we are mortal.
The psalmist's sense of "Place" revolves around a holy land, which revolves around a holy city, which revolves around a holy temple. This was probably my favourite chapter - Wright made me see the (now rather obvious) fact that the psalmists return constantly to thoughts of Jerusalem and the temple when they pray, a fact Christians now often brush over. This was my favourite line in the book: "Again and again the Psalms celebrate, in almost embarassingly vivid language, the belief that the creator of the universe has, for reasons best known to him, decided to take us residence on a small hill in the Judean uplands."
The psalmist's sense of "Matter" is that they know they live in a world created by God, which is destined for the future hope of God's glory in the new creation.
Wright's driving concern is to rightly understand what these psalms meant to the faithful Israelites who first wrote, prayed, and sung them. The more you do that, the richer your understanding of what they mean for you as a Christian now will become.
I disagreed with a few things - mainly underlying assumptions (Wrightt assumes the psalms are mainly from the second temple era, so accordingly isn't that concerned with whether or not David himself was the author of what's attributed to him). But, that's a given with Wright.
Along with some really refreshing personal reflections on his own experiences of the Psalms, it all adds up to a very engaging book that will help you wrap your psalms around the head as a whole by getting to know their context and worldview.
July 20, 2025
Tom Wright, although a well known theologian, is a new author to me. The text was a quite rambly but it has spurred me on to include more Psalm reading!
The main themes I drew from Wright’s reflections on the Psalms were:
1) the significance of the Jewish nation, (who were in need of rescuing themselves as they made so many mistakes) as God’s choice to reflect the ‘wise ordering and stewardship of the world … (and) the rescuing love (of God)’. Their journey of course, is reflected in the Psalms.
2) Wright demonstrates a few simple truths in the Psalms; how the Psalms show the overlap of the past, present and future. And the overlap of space; God’s glory moving from the Temple into Creation and me.
3) and finally, by reading the Psalms I am changed and my worldview changes.
The main themes I drew from Wright’s reflections on the Psalms were:
1) the significance of the Jewish nation, (who were in need of rescuing themselves as they made so many mistakes) as God’s choice to reflect the ‘wise ordering and stewardship of the world … (and) the rescuing love (of God)’. Their journey of course, is reflected in the Psalms.
2) Wright demonstrates a few simple truths in the Psalms; how the Psalms show the overlap of the past, present and future. And the overlap of space; God’s glory moving from the Temple into Creation and me.
3) and finally, by reading the Psalms I am changed and my worldview changes.
February 20, 2018
What a wonderful little book on the Psalms, looking at them from Wright's perspective as a scholar of the New Testament. Wright looks at the psalms in terms of "time", "place", and "matter". It's a brilliant way of approaching the psalms as the intersection of earth and heaven. While he's at it, Wright notes the importance of the psalms in Jewish worship and in historical Christians worship up to the present and laments the way they've been pushed to the side by contemporary worship and spirituality.
May 28, 2023
Like other N.T. Wright's titles, it comes with so many insights and hitherto unknown angles. He has a gift for helping one discover the riches in God's word. And this time, he does the same for the Psalms.
He has sparked within me a desire to cultivate a deep immersion in the songs of Israel. And I pray God helps me keep this alive.
He has sparked within me a desire to cultivate a deep immersion in the songs of Israel. And I pray God helps me keep this alive.
January 25, 2021
Outstanding
This is a thought-provoking book reflecting on the psalms. It draws on NT Wright’s personal experience in praying the psalms daily and his extensive theological knowledge. I recommend it.
This is a thought-provoking book reflecting on the psalms. It draws on NT Wright’s personal experience in praying the psalms daily and his extensive theological knowledge. I recommend it.
May 7, 2025
Fabulous.
April 20, 2015
This book justified itself to me in the last chapter. I had heard Wright's lecture at Calvin College (which developed into this book) previously and felt that he has overly systematized the psalms. In three large chapters here he expounds three of his major themes (condensed from elsewhere) time (eschatology), space (Temple/Word/Spirit theology) and matter (renewal of creation). There are a number of new things in here, and he clearly knows his psalms. But if you have read Wright before you will recognise the patterns.
The penultimate chapter is a plea for psalms (and the whole psalter to be used in the modern church. This a familiar refrain in books by theologians writing about the psalms.
In the last chapter Wright enlarges on the hints earlier in the book about his experience of singing the psalms. He enjoys Anglican chant! He prays the Daily Office. But more tellingly he speaks of how he (used to?) read five psalms through the day as modelled by Billy Graham, and how time and time again God spoke to him through them. He shares a string of episodes of how the psalms have moulded his life and thought. And last of all there is a lovely portrait of his late father.
I am sure that he wouldn't want people to read the Psalms because he has done. But I think there is a case for starting with the last chapter, to be challenged and inspired to read the rest of the book - and the Psalms.
The penultimate chapter is a plea for psalms (and the whole psalter to be used in the modern church. This a familiar refrain in books by theologians writing about the psalms.
In the last chapter Wright enlarges on the hints earlier in the book about his experience of singing the psalms. He enjoys Anglican chant! He prays the Daily Office. But more tellingly he speaks of how he (used to?) read five psalms through the day as modelled by Billy Graham, and how time and time again God spoke to him through them. He shares a string of episodes of how the psalms have moulded his life and thought. And last of all there is a lovely portrait of his late father.
I am sure that he wouldn't want people to read the Psalms because he has done. But I think there is a case for starting with the last chapter, to be challenged and inspired to read the rest of the book - and the Psalms.
July 9, 2014
Written with his usual insight and clarity. There is so much wisdom and inspiration in this book: it is like a long cool glass of water on a hot, hot day. I will return to the Psalms with renewed energy and understanding. I will return to this book in a few months' time to read it again and to refresh my vision of God in and through the Psalms.
The final pages, his story of the birthday present, was moving beyond words.
The final pages, his story of the birthday present, was moving beyond words.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews