The book of Psalms has provided rich resources for Jewish and Christian worship and ethical reflection for centuries. It still does. The speakers in this pathway draw on years of work as scholars and artists to explore the book’s many dimensions as a source for study, prayer, song, and art. As the church’s first song book, Psalms provides language and images for lament and praise, storytelling and the pursuit of wisdom. In short, it helps us be more fully human in our lives before God.

Hosted by Mark Hamilton in collaboration with ACU’s Center for the Study of Ancient Religious Texts (CSART), this pathway took place in ACU’s Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building on Tuesday, September 17, 2019.

Sessions

Bringing in the Sheaves With Shouts of Joy: Embodied Worship in the Songs of Ascents (Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford)

Psalms are a rich source of information about the worship experiences of our ancestors in the faith. By studying the bodily movements of worshippers in the Songs of Ascents, we can learn more about bringing our whole selves to the worship experience.

Singing the Lord’s Song: Psalm-Singing Through the Ages (R. Mark Shipp)

This session contains an overview of psalm-singing through the ages (with audience participation), and an introduction to Timeless: Ancient Psalms for the Church Today Psalter/Commentary, edited by Mark Shipp himself.

Christ Prays the Psalms, They Pray Him Back: In Defense of Christological Reading of the Old Testament (Jason Byassee)

The church long read the Psalms christologically. Is there a way, after historical criticism, to learn from these ways of reading anew? More daringly now, is there a way to practice them while avoiding anti- Judaism and historical anachronism?

On the Willows We Hung Up Our Harps: Preaching the Imprecatory Psalms (Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford)

The imprecatory words in the Psalter are demands for violence in response to violence, making them difficult to incorporate into our worship experiences. Explore why these words are a vital part of our relationship with God and others.

Reflections on the Psalms in the Church’s Worship (Pathway Presenters)

A panel discussion with all available participants, moderated by Glenn Pemberton and Mark Hamilton. This session was not recorded.

Speakers

JASON BYASSEE

Jason Byassee is the inaugural holder of the Butler Chair in Homiletics and Biblical Hermeneutics at Vancouver School of Theology, where he teaches preaching, Bible, leadership, church history, and writing. He studied at Davidson College and Duke University, where he earned a Ph.D. in systematic theology. He is a contributing editor to Christian Century magazine and was previously an executive director of leadership education at Duke Divinity School. He has served as a research fellow in the New Media Project at Union Theological Seminary in New York. His work has appeared in Christianity Today, Theology Today, Books & Culture, Sojourners, United Methodist Reporter, and First Things. He has served on boards for the Journal of Scriptural Reasoning, the School for Conversion, and The Other Journal. Jason writes on such diverse topics as theology, church history, politics, liturgy, popular culture, and spiritual practices. His primary vocation is to reinvigorate today’s church with the best of ancient and contemporary wisdom for creatively faithful living. He is the author or co-editor of 12 books, including Mentoring for Ministry: The Grace of Growing Pastors (Cascade, 2017) and Trinity: The God We Don't Know (Abingdon, 2015). He is married to Jaylynn Warren Byassee, who serves on the pastoral staff of First Baptist Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, and together they have three boys, ages 14, 13, and 10.

NANCY L. DECLAISSÉ-WALFORD

Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford is the Carolyn Ward Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages at the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is an active participant in the book of Psalms Section of the Society of Biblical Literature and is the Old Testament editor for the Word Biblical Commentary series. She is married to Steve, and they have two grown sons, a 10-year-old grandson, and two spoiled dogs.

MARK HAMILTON

Mark Hamilton teaches courses in biblical Hebrew and Old Testament at ACU. After ministering several years in congregations in Connecticut and Massachusetts and serving as a teaching assistant at Harvard and adjunct professor at Stonehill College, Mark moved to ACU in 2000. His articles and reviews have appeared in many major journals. He is a board member of Review of Biblical Literature, Restoration Quarterly, and Kairos (Croatia).

GLENN PEMBERTON

Glenn Pemberton is a minister turned professor turned writer. He taught at Oklahoma Christian University before coming to Abilene Christian University, where health led him to retire as professor emeritus in 2017. Glenn now spends his time writing for the church. Glenn and his wife Dana live in Abilene, Texas.

R. MARK SHIPP

R. Mark Shipp is the Pat E. Harrell Professor of Old Testament at Austin Graduate School of Theology, Austin, Texas. Since 2003 he has been involved in the archaeological excavation at Tel Tamar/En Hazeva, Israel. He is the editor of Timeless: Ancient Psalms for the Church Today (vols. 1 and 2) from ACU Press. He is married to Sheree Shipp and has two daughters, Sarah and Rachel.