Why Do We Hope?

In this follow-up to his popular book What Are We Hoping For? New Testament Images, Daniel J. Harrington extends his reflections on hope in the Scriptures. He draws us into the striking images of the psalms’the mountain, the sun, refuge, the kingdom, sheltering wings, the olive tree, and the shepherd’to lead us to the discovery that hope is the predominant image of the book of Psalms. Even in their darkest laments, the psalmists remind us that God hears us and will never abandon us.

In these brief essays, Harrington opens up the language of forty psalms, explores their literary and historical context, and then ties the psalm to our reading as Christians whose ultimate hope is in Jesus Christ. As we read and reflect on the psalms with Harrington’s guidance, we call to mind the ways we experience God and our hopes, both daily and for all time. Drawn into the world of the psalmist and discovering how our experiences often mirror theirs, we too will express our hope in God’s love and mercy and in the coming of God’s kingdom.

Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, PhD, (1940-2014), was a professor of New Testament at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has written numerous works, including What Are We Hoping For? New Testament Images and Jesus Ben Sira of Jerusalem: A Biblical Guide to Living Wisely, both published by Liturgical Press. Harrington was also editor of Liturgical Press’s best-selling Sacra Pagina series, for which he authored The Gospel of Matthew and coauthored The Gospel of Mark.