Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life

by W. David O. Taylor

"A book you will want to read and read again." -- Eugene Peterson

Afterword by Bono.

How can we find a more transparent, resilient, and fearless life of faith? 

The book of Psalms has been central to God's people for millennia, across all walks of life and cultural contexts. In reading it, we discover that we are never alone in our joys, sorrows, angers, doubts, praises, or thanksgivings. In it, we learn about prayer and poetry, honesty and community, justice and enemies, life and death, nations and creation. Open and Unafraid shows us how to read the psalms in a fresh, life-giving way, and so access the bottomless resources for life that they provide.

"David Taylor’s take is 'open and unafraid' alright. He really goes there, exposing himself before God in the most beautiful way. He might have called the book Naked, because if you don’t find your own self feeling a little exposed here, it might be time to take some armor off."  -- Bono, from the Afterword

"A book that you will want to read and read again, and yet again, in order to discover the wisdom of the Psalms that shows us how to walk in the life-giving way of Jesus." -- Eugene Peterson, from the Foreword

"A winsome, accessible entry into the Book of Psalms…Connects the poetry of the psalms to real-life wonders and struggles." -- Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

"Taylor reads these biblical prayers with Dr. Seuss, rappers, and other poets, along with theologians and the daily news....Guides readers in tracing out patterns of holy speech that have the potential for healing our hearts and our communities." -- Ellen F. Davis, Duke Divinity School

"I have always loved the psalms--for their defiant devotion, their deep joy, and their brutal yet beautiful honesty. And after reading this fantastic book about them, I love them even more." -- Matt Redman, worship leader and song writer

"In these fraught and fearsome days, we need the psalms more than ever. And we need more faithful artists and thinkers like David Taylor to mine the infinite gifts the psalms offer across the ages." -- Karen Swallow Prior, author of Fierce Convictions

Genres: Christian, Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Prayer, Faith

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2020

About the author

W. David O. Taylor is Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of "Open and Unafraid: The Psalms and the Life of Faith" (Thomas Nelson: 2020), "Glimpses of the New Creation: Worship and the Formative Power of the Arts" (Eerdmans: 2019) and editor of "For the Beauty of the Church: Casting a Vision for the Arts" (Baker: 2010). He has written for The Washington Post, Image Journal, Christ & Pop Culture, and Christianity Today, among others. An Anglican priest, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. He lives in Austin with his wife Phaedra, a visual artist and gardener, and his daughter Blythe and son Sebastian. Twitter: @wdavidotaylor. Instagram: @davidtaylor_theologian.

Reviews

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I anticipate recommending this nonstop in the coming years.

Full of depth in a way few books on biblical studies are (aside from commentaries). This was easy to read, yet chock full of citations, signaling that Taylor is to be listened to, as he is someone steeped in the Psalms as well as a well for the wisdom of many.

I've been alternating reading two devotional books, and the other had me opening my Bible to mark or reference very rarely, this one several times on each page, running to scripture over and over, and most importantly, spurring me on to love the Word.

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Open and Unafraid by David O. Taylor is not so much a study of the Psalms as it is the application of the Psalms to certain themes, such as Honesty, Anger, Community, Poetry, Prayers, and others . There are study questions at the end of each chapter so you can apply these themes to your own life, if you wish. There are also instructions on writing your own psalms.

Overall, and with a few exceptions, I found it to be more of a self help book than a study of the Psalms.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

[Carmen Imes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book. My undergraduate students appreciated it this semester, and my Dad is enjoying reading it with a small group of guys.

If you're looking for in-depth exegesis or technical discussion, this is not the book for you, but its thematic reflections are devotionally enriching and suitable for group study. The questions at the end of each chapter prompted great classroom discussions.

In places it could benefit from more global engagement. Some of the questions or perspectives were very white & western. In other places Taylor's own global experiences enriched his insights.

[Becka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Open and I afraid couldn’t have come at a better time.
As we experience uncertain times worldwide, this study of Psalms hits the spot. It challenges the reader to look beyond literal meaning, which is how we read and understand much of the Bible, and to appreciate how God uses beautiful, poetic verse in the Psalms to instruct, comfort, and encourage us.

Rather than organizing by individual Psalms, this book is organized by themes that are prevalent throughout the book of Psalms. As the theme is explored, the author references numerous Psalms, considering how that Psalmist develops the theme. Each theme study is followed by a series of questions. These are thought-provoking questions that prompt the reader to make direct application to their own life. Many devotional books stop here, leaving the reader with an understanding of the fact that the topic of discussion convicts them of a need to make a change in their life. The problem with stopping there is that despite the knowledge of needing to change, and the desire to change, we often don’t know how to begin. That’s where this book is different! After the questions there are numerous exercises that allow the reader to immediately put into practice what they’re learning. These exercises are practical ideas that are easily implemented, yet can be transformational. The chapter then concludes with a prayer directly related to the theme.

This book isn’t a “5 minutes with God” type of study of the Psalms. It’s a book that provides a depth of study and personal application that will challenge and empower the reader to live in line with God’s Word. I see this as a book that I will come back to time and again, likely filling the margins with notes.

Thanks go to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Beth Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO good. A must read (and reread).

[Maresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book to read—really drove home the importance of the Psalms and stretched my understanding of this book of the Bible. I’m better equipped to use the Psalms as a guide to my conversations with God. Have it 3 stars because I’m pretty critical when it comes to well researched, good academic writing. I think this book lacked in-depth research and important theological details that would have made this more solid.

[Sara Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight to the mind and the soul. Taylor’s writing is accessible yet profound, concise but insightful. The author’s tone of humility imparts a humanizing aspect to the discussion of topics like honesty, justice, sadness, death, and life. I chose to read this text a chapter at a time, making use of the questions and exercises for personal reflection which, undoubtably, added to the experience. This would be a great book for use in a group Bible study, for personal reflection, or as part of family worship.

[April Yamasaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an "open and unafraid" look at the Psalms, an excellent resource for individuals and small groups, for pastors and anyone looking to enrich their understanding of the Psalms. It's both engaging and scholarly, devotional and studious, full of solid content plus questions for reflection and exercises to help individuals and groups interact with the Psalms. See my full review: An Open and Unafraid Look at the Psalms.

[Traci Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific overview of the psalms and the area of life they cover. A good guidebook for small groups or anyone looking to dive deeper into this first songbook.

[Chris Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book with a foreword by Eugene Peterson and an afterword by Bono has to be good - and it was!!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: In the Psalms we join our voices in lament and praise with other voices who weep and laugh.

Love the book of Psalms? Want to know the book of Psalms better? I'd definitely recommend Taylor's new book, Open and Unafraid.

The timing of this book is just perfect. Both the publishing--March 2020--and my reading of it. As the world changes drastically in response to COVID 19, Taylor's book offers much food for thought. The truth, wisdom, comfort, and hope of Scriptures--particularly the Psalms--shines forth. Psalms is both our song book and our prayer book. Or it perhaps should be.

The Psalms truly cover EVERY and ALL aspects of our emotional lives.

Chapter One: Honesty
Chapter Two: Community
Chapter Three: History
Chapter Four: Prayers
Chapter Five: Poetry
Chapter Six: Sadness
Chapter Seven: Anger
Chapter Eight: Joy
Chapter Nine: Enemies
Chapter Ten: Justice
Chapter Eleven: Death
Chapter Twelve: Life
Chapter Thirteen: Nations
Chapter Fourteen: Creation

The book is written to ENGAGE readers, inviting them deeper and further. Each chapter includes questions for reflections, exercises, and a prayer.

Quotes:

"If we have any wish to mature in our humanity and to glorify God with our entire heart, mind, soul, and strength, the Psalms are necessary. We cannot bypass the Psalms. They are God’s gift to train us in prayer that is comprehensive and honest."
"To be open and unafraid with God is to counter the devastating effects of our primordial sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, their first impulse was to hide. In making clothes for themselves, they hid their bodies. When they heard the sound of their Maker’s voice, they hid from God. In their telltale lies, they hid from the truth, and in their mutual accusations, they hid from each other. All the ways in which Adam and Eve hid resulted in one thing: their dehumanization. Like Adam and Eve, when we hide from God, we become alienated from God, and thus spend our strength trying to transcend life’s limits: death, dependence, moral laws, God-given boundaries. When we hide from others, we cut ourselves off from the life-giving gift of community. When we hide from creation, we deny our God-ordained creaturely nature and often seek to exploit rather than to care for creation. And when we hide from ourselves, we become strangers to ourselves through selfish, self-indulgent behavior that ultimately does violence to our nature as humans made in God’s image."
"We become whole by praying our honest joys and our honest sorrows. We pray our honest praise of God and our honest anger at God; we pray also for honest speech in our words to God. With the psalmist we pray that God will protect our tongues from deceit (Ps. 34:13). We pray that we not sin with our words (Ps. 39:1). We pray that we resist the urge to gossip and flatter (Ps. 12:3), and that we choose to live with integrity (Ps. 41:12), rejecting words that both inflate and deflate us before God (Ps. 32). To pray in this way is to keep ourselves open to others and to God."
"It is easy to be honest before God with our hallelujahs; it is somewhat more difficult to be honest in our hurts; it is nearly impossible to be honest before God in the dark emotions of our hate. So we commonly suppress our negative emotions (unless, neurotically, we advertise them). Or, when we do express them, we do it far from the presence, or what we think is the presence, of God, ashamed or embarrassed to be seen in these curse-stained bib overalls. But when we pray the psalms, these classic prayers of God’s people, we find that will not do. We must pray who we actually are, not who we think we should be."
"We can be honest to God about the best and worst parts of our human condition, because we know that the grace of God precedes our honest confessions, the grace of God undergirds our honest thanksgivings, and the grace of God follows our honest laments."
"Whatever else they are, the psalms are prayers. They’re prayers for people who already know how to pray as well as for those who don’t know how to pray at all. They’re prayers for those who wish to pray to God with all their heart."
"To sing a new song is not to sing a “new thing” or the “next thing.” It is to sing in light of the reality of God’s good future, made present to Christ’s people by his Spirit. This is the same life-giving Spirit who makes us partakers of Christ’s ever-renewing resurrected life (Rom. 8): a life that belongs to the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15), where humanity is not simply alive (a nephesh hayah) but “hyperalive, excessively alive,” as Jeremy Begbie describes it."

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author W. David O. Taylor takes a comprehensive look at the Psalter in Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life. He identifies 14 major, reoccurring themes (joy, prayer, suffering, death, etc.) that are found in the Psalms. I read his book as part of my personal devotions, but it would also be excellent for group study since Taylor provides discussion questions and follow-on exercises after each chapter.

[Hiram · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75. Well done!

[Doug Van Meter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. A great invitation to praying the psalms. And Bono's afterward summarizes the invitation to the psalms in a most helpful way.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and helpful introduction to the Psalms, offered with thought to what the Psalms have to offer for our life of prayer. Each chapter concludes with ideas for further exploration. It’s been helpful for a summer sermon series on prayer, particularly as it pointed to other writers and books worth reading.

[Graydon Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible testament to the Psalms! I’m captivated!

[Carol H.]

Several chapters spoke to my heart. The whole premise of the Psalms is singing to the Lord; sing about everything, the good, the bad, the ugly, and most importantly, know that HIS mercies are new each day. This book covers a lot of philosophy and how the Psalms have been used throughout history by people of all nations. The prayers and exercises at the end of each chapter were enlightening.

[Laure Hittle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a dang good book. i really, really appreciated the premise up front in the opening matter and first two chapters: That the Psalms invite us to live in full honesty and in full community, in all of our experiences and emotions. That premise is a given to any faithful psalm reading, but i appreciated very much the way the author expressed it. i also appreciated the copious reflection questions and exercises at the end of each chapter, which offer a way for individuals or groups to engage each topic at a deeper level.

This is a topical treatment, so readers will want to find a way to get into the psalms themselves while reading through this framework. i am planning to do a psalms study with my high schooler, and will probably share at least one chapter ("Honesty" in particular; perhaps also "Community") to aid our discussions. But we're going to read through the psalms canonically, so this book is more for my brain-and-heart-prep than for shared reading and discussion. i'll bring into our discussion various thoughts from the book. But i do anticipate it being super helpful, especially as there are so many ready-made discussion starters and exercises.

The only downside to this book is the lack of a scripture index. i actually created my own while reading, because otherwise i'd never be able to find again precisely what i might want as we read through the psalter at our own pace. (If Goodreads doesn't mind, i'll share it here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...)

Because i was reading this for class prep, i went through at a much quicker pace than i think is optimal for deep engagement. But i'm grateful for this book's approach and resources, and will be glad to come back to it again.

tl;dr: Highly recommend.

[Tamara Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review in 3 or more words: instructive | transformative | contextualized from the historic church

Our triad small groups read David Taylor’s latest (and, in my opinion, best yet) book. The combination of his inviting prose, biblical and theological research, meaningful personal narrative form a beautiful invitation to read the Psalms with more insight that, I expect, most of us have ever done. Any reader would benefit from taking the time to engage with Taylor’s excellent reflection questions and recommended exercises. I was glad to read the book in a group setting which fit well with the Taylor’s vision of reading the Psalms in community. I’ll be re-reading this book devotionally for many years.

More here: https://www.tamarahillmurphy.com/blog...

[Dom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this book insightful, it is readable.

This book takes you through many of the main themes of the psalms, challenging you to understand the unique insight the psalms provide in all circumstances and helping you appreciate their beauty, their contribution to the canon, their day to day use, and their ability to be a reflection of yourself. For anyone seeking to devotionally work their way through the psalms this is as good a choice as any and it’s more recent publication date only adds to that because it is clear that this is a writer who understands the unique trials of our time.

Reading this haas definitely allowed me to appreciate the psalms like never before.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could have been very dry but it wasn’t! David Taylor wrote about 14 topics through the lens of the Psalms. They are Honesty, Community, History, Prayer, Poetry, Sadness, Anger, Joy, Enemies, Justice, Death, Life, Nations, and Creation. This would be a great book to read as a group! Each chapter ends with questions for reflection and exercises that would be perfect for group discussions. It’s a book I enjoyed reading rather quickly, but I’m glad to have it on my shelves to refer back to as well.

[Max Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a part of me that wants to put this book in the "Commentary" category--no, it doesn't go into the historical and theological depth of each line of the Psalms but Taylor led me through many of the Psalms like I haven't experienced before. While that commentary part may be a stretch, it's no stretch of the imagination of how rich the Psalms are. Open and Unafraid does a marvelous job of peeling back the layers of several of the Psalms to help us see the true uninhibited emotion of the writers and to see how God might invite us to live in the same ways.

[Jennie Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. I am not a big fan of The Message, and was not sure what I would think of this book, but I really enjoyed it. Very interesting. Practical application.

[Jennifer Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Studied this with a group of women and felt like we could keep going through it and gaining more each time.

[Robin Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will return to this book as I read and study and meet with God in the Psalms.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw the subtitle, The Psalms as A Guide to Life, I was definitely intrigued, as Psalms has become my favorite book of the Bible, over the years. When I saw that Eugene Peterson had written a foreword to this book, I was hooked.



The author does not disappoint. In some ways, this is a difficult book; in other ways, it is delightful. By "difficult," what I mean is that 1) it is challenging to read, because it has great depth and is full of notations and 2) it tackles some topics that are challenging to deal with. But Taylor presents a compelling argument that it is good to pray ALL of the psalms in our own lives.



As I read through the book, this time, I took a few notes and made a few highlights. Mostly, though, I just tried to soak in as much as I could. Early on, the author recommends starting with Psalm 1 and simply reading a psalm a day until finished, and then start over. After doing that, he says, "In time I found that it slowly changed the way I saw my Christian faith. The language of the psalms began to saturate my sense of self, my understanding of God, my ideas about prayer and worship, and my notion of Scripture and a faithful life."



I was already reading some psalms every day, but started over with Taylor's (Peterson's, actually) suggestion. Today, I will read Psalm 9 in my "Jesus Time."



But I like this idea that the psalms are more than just prayers and songs. "A Guide to Life," it says. Taylor takes us through by topic, starting with honesty. And if you have ever read Psalms, you know that one thing they definitely are is honest. The various psalmists don't hold back in these prayers, and neither should we. In the chapter on honesty, Taylor says, "We become whole by praying our honest joys and our honest sorrows. We pray our honest praise of God and our honest anger at God." In the introduction, he says, "The psalms invite us . . . to stand in the light, to see ourselves truly and to receive the reformative work of God through the formative words of the psalmist, so that we might be rehumanized in Christ."



The author goes on to take us through "community," "history," "prayer," "poetry," "sadness," "anger," "joy," "enemies," "justice," "death," "life," "nations," and, finally, "creation." Each chapter had its own meaningfulness for me, but the ones that I really want to hone in on during future readings of this text are the ones on anger, enemies, and justice. I will honestly admit that I have long shied away from the imprecatory psalms. I simply cannot bring myself to pray for blessings on anyone who dashes anyone's babies against the rocks.



But in his chapters on those psalms, this author reminds us that none of these psalms are about us taking revenge on our "enemies." What they are about is leaving all thoughts of vengeance to the Lord, and releasing our anger to Him. We can, in fact, vent our anger to God. He can handle it. The language is in the Bible for a reason. Therefore, it is okay for us to use it. I can pray, like the psalmist, "How long, O Lord?? How long are You going to ignore my prayer?? Why haven't You answered me??" God, who is longsuffering and compassionate, isn't going to slap me across the room for that prayer.



I recommend this book to anyone who has a love of the psalms, and to anyone who wants more depth in their prayer life. I will definitely be reading this book again, more slowly, taking more notes.



Oh. And I almost forgot. There's a love afterword by Bono.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life W. David O. Taylor explains why the Psalms are timeless and have been central to God's people across millennia and cultures. It is because they speak openly and honestly about every human emotion and situation as the various writers struggle with and/or rejoice in their faith and their relationship with God. Taylor not only helps us understand the history of the Psalms, but gives us a fresh interpretation of all they have to offer us today.

In the introduction, Taylor tells the reader about taking a course taught by Eugene Peterson, pastor and author, while at seminary. Following a lecture, he questioned Peterson as to what they should do, practically speaking, with all the knowledge that Peterson had presented. Peterson answered "Tomorrow, David, read Psalm 1. The next day read Psalm 2. The day after, read Psalm 3. When you get to the end, start over." In other words, use the Psalms as a guide to life.

I appreciate the deeper understanding and appreciation of the Psalms that Taylor offers. At the end of each chapter, he gives questions for reflections, exercises and a prayer. I found these very helpful!

This is a very good read for anyone who loves the Psalms, would like to grow in their faith and relationship with God or both.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Open and Afraid is both practical and beautiful. In reading this book I experienced the Psalms. In addition to intelligent commentary this book served as a guide to reading and extended such a compelling invitation that I would stop reading the book and turn to the Psalms to read and read again. If I managed to make it through a chapter without turning to the Psalms themselves there are questions and exercises at the end of each chapter that offer creative and practical ways to interact with and focus on specific Psalms. The book is arranged by topic: honesty, community, prayer, poetry, sadness, etc. My favorite topic was "enemies". Taylor states that according to the Psalms enemies "are to be named, but they are also to be relinquished to God". He also states that the purpose of enemy language is to "remind us that the violent and sinful ways of human beings-- including our own violent, sinful ways--need to be named so that God can step in and do something about it. " As a person who struggles with anger (sometimes righteous, sometimes not) I am set free by taking my anger to the only one who can justly handle it. Only God knows who or what is right and only he is capable of sorting out the complexities of anger, motive, and passion as well as justice and mercy. I read this at the suggestion of our pastor to go along with a sermon series on Psalms during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Both the sermon series and this book could not have come at a better time.

[Stephen Sumrall · Rating 4 out of 5]

- My soul is like glass, no vein hidden

- Here there is no victim mentality, even if the psalmist is a real victim of violence.. here there is a wholly honest reconciliation of pain within the community of those who seek to be wholly human.

- Adopting a sabbath mentality.. seeing it as a festive day.. The first divine action, the first day of our week. Human life begins with a holiday, not with an imposed task, with joy and not with toil and trouble. It begins on a day of grace.

- “The Psalms do not submerge or deny your true feelings, but allow you to reflect on them.” They show “..the full range of human emotions” and “..how to be angry and not sin” and I would like to use them as tools to acknowledge and investigate my own emotions and experiences.

- Divine game of Pinzatski: calls for one person to point out an object in nature that the other person must then, as best they can, state what the object might say about God and why. “It has taught us to hear the voice of the Maker in the things that he has made—that moss and rocks do in fact praise God in their own unique language. It has taught us to re-see ourselves as humans, how small we are yet how well-loved we are, too, in this “theater of God’s glory,”

[Nancy Merrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taylor has done a phenomenal job giving a curiously engaging and theologically sound explanation of the biblical Psalms. The rawness and emotional honesty of the Psalms is not something our churches explore often- even in our own personal study, we get stuck in the formality and rhythm of the words.
Taylor expertly unpacks the major themes of the Psalms with energy and broad reference, birthed from classes he took under Eugene Peterson, inspired to see the Psalms like Peterson's revolutionally retelling in The Message. And even better, he gives insightful questions and practices to choose at the end of each theme; options that cover a variety of learning styles from writing your own psalms to watching Bono videos to communally exploring the meanings of justice and death. I highly recommend this book- and though not a necessity to do in a group, I wish I had asked a friend or two to join me in this!