Friday, October 09, 2009

Psalm School

Psalms are on my mind as well as on my lips. In a comment here, Gannet Girl asked if I had any resouces I might recommend for those wanting to start or deepen a practice of praying the psalms -- or is it the doing that does? I'm not sure I can disentangle my practice of praying the psalms on a daily basis from the resources that support it, but here goes!

Praying the Psalms by Thomas Merton. You have to get past his use of "men of prayer" language, but this little book gives a tour of he psalms and Merton's basic advice about learning to appreciate the Pslams likely answers Gannet Girl's question: "acquire the habit of reciting them slowly and well"

The Book of Psalms - Robert Alter's new translation from the Hebrew. Merton says, don't turn to the commentaries, who needs them? You might need this one. The translations feel fresh, the footnotes aren't stuffy, but they are informative - but above all, the language is marvelous.

The Grail Psalter
has a marvelous essay on the psalms by Joseph Gelineau, SJ.

Any other thoughts? Please share....

6 comments:

  1. Good point, Barb! Since that's the context in which I pray the psalms most often....

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  2. I have the Merton and I picked up the Alter at the library today. And sometimes I pray the Hours online. I think I was asking more of a question about approach, inclination, attitude, than resources, though.

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  3. The problem with quantum theology is that no one is seeing theology as a study so as to link it to the Bible.I am currently doing a project on Quantum theology.See Quantum theology in Bible
    Most of the people are developing a thought that whatever is science is contradictory to Bible.

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  4. Indianapolis Carmelites, *People's Companion to the Breviary*--a faithful, creative and inclusive (gender neutral) adaptation of the RC liturgy of the Hours. And, for a feminine God-language version of the office, Marchiene Vroon Rienstra's *Swallow's Nest*.

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  5. Sophia, some good suggestions! Thanks...

    Gannet Girl - that, of course, is a harder question, but a more important one. Time to write again, I think...

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