The Spirituality of the Psalms

The psalms offer a harmony to life and a rhythm that keeps us peacefully in tune with the intense fervor of life. In The Spirituality of the Psalms, Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, looks at the structure of the psalms to explain how they can have bearing in our lives today. He describes how we can apply the psalms to our spiritual lives and integrate the psalms in the Church's prayer life and ministry.

The Spirituality of the Psalms is the last work of Stuhlmueller which was uncompleted upon his death in 1994. He had completed a first draft of all but two chapters, 12 and 13, which Timothy Lenchak, SVD, added from Stuhlmueller's commentary Psalms 1 and 2. The completed text was then edited, revised, and updated by Carol Dempsey, OP, who did so with care so as not to lose Stuhlmueller's "voice" and "hand" in the text.

Chapters are "Chapter One: The Psalms within the Bible and Christian Community," "Chapter Two: Methods for Studying and Praying the Psalms," "Chapter Three: Hymns of Praise," "Chapter Four: Hymns of Praise," "Chapter Five: Celebrating the Lord as King and Creator," "Chapter Six: The Royal Dynasty of David," "Chapter Seven: Community Laments," "Chapter Eight: Individual Laments," "Chapter Nine: Psalms for Sickness and Dying," "Chapter Ten: Cursing and Reconciliation," "Chapter Eleven: Psalms for Reconciliation," "Chapter Twelve: Wisdom Psalms," "Chapter Thirteen: Thanksgiving Psalms," and "Questions for Reflection."

Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP, was professor of Old Testament at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, a widely published author on biblical scholarship, and a mentor to a generation of biblical scholars. His association with The Liturgical Press included being editor of The Bible Today, the author of Amos, Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habbakkuk of The Collegeville Bible Commentary, and Psalms 1 and 2, of the Message of Biblical Theology series, and founding editor of The Collegeville Pastoral Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

Carol J. Dempsey, OP, PhD, teaches Old Testament at the University of Portland.