Psalms 1-50 (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible):

Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible

by Ellen T. Charry, William Brown (Foreword), R.R. Reno (Editor)

The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible enlists leading theologians to read and interpret scripture creedally for the twenty-first century, just as the church fathers, the Reformers, and other orthodox Christians did for their times and places. Psalms 1-50, like each commentary in the series, is designed to serve the church and demonstrate the continuing intellectual and practical viability of theological interpretation of the Bible.

Praise for Psalms 1-50 in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible

"It is a wonder and a gift to have a systematic theologian slow down and focus attention on the particularity of biblical texts. No one doing theology can do that more effectively than Charry, who considers the Psalms in their ancient orbit but draws them boldly toward contemporaneity for Christian readers. Charry's attentiveness to the recurring issue of suffering and hope is a welcome accent. Her book is a persuasive addition to the growing corpus of books that intend to bring the Psalter more fully into play in the life, faith, and practice of the church."
--Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

"This is a very thoughtful, theological reflection on the Psalter. Truly to be commended is the seriousness with which Charry takes up the settings provided by the Psalm titles themselves as well as the questions raised by Jewish and Christian interpreters over the centuries. In this way, the commentary allows the theological depth of the Psalter to open up new vistas for the religious life."
--Gary A. Anderson, University of Notre Dame

"Charry's multilayered commentary focuses on the matters that are of most concern to those who pray--struggles with doubt and doubters, evil-doers and the problem of evil, the absence and invisibility of God. Grounded in a close reading of the text, this widely useful volume steadily demonstrates how the psalmists discover and rediscover God's faithfulness."
--Ellen F. Davis, Duke Divinity School

General editor: R. R. Reno (editor, First Things)
Series editors: Robert W. Jenson (Center of Theological Inquiry)
Robert Louis Wilken (University of Virginia)
Ephraim Radner (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto)
Michael Root (Catholic University of America)
George Sumner (Episcopal Diocese of Dallas)

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Ellen T. Charry (PhD, Temple University) is Margaret W. Harmon Professor of Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. She is the author of several books, including God and the Art of Happiness, and serves as an editor-at-large for the Christian Century.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was good for me to spend the extra time with these psalms even if Charry is not the guide I would want. Brazos commentary authors can be really hit-or-miss.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't read it cover-to-cover, but it was a helpful resource while reading through the Psalms.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a commentary on the first 50 Psalms. It provides some good insights, but doesn't get into the overall themes of the book. It would also help if the author had put the text of each Psalm at the beginning of the chapter, so that the reader could refer to it.