Smith DTh Thesis (final).pdf - South African Theological Seminary

Chapter 2: History of Psalms StudiesIn spite of the influence of Hengstenberg and Delitzsch, by the end of thenineteenth century the current of psalms studies was flowing away from thetraditional view of the Psalter as a largely Davidic collection that waspurposefully arranged to a critical view that it was a piecemeal collection ofanonymous, post-exilic lyrics compiled for use as the hymnbook of the secondtemple. The great commentaries of the early twentieth century (e.g., Cheyne1904; Briggs and Briggs 1906 and 1907; Kirkpatrick 1906) reflect thescepticism of the period.2.4 Form criticismA major change of direction occurred around 1920 under the influence ofHermann Gunkel, a towering figure in Old Testament studies during the firsthalf of the twentieth century. Gunkel, the father of Old Testament formcriticism, pioneered and popularised form critical analysis of the Psalter, theapproach that dominated psalms’ studies for the rest of the twentieth centuryand still remains a prominent field of exegesis.Gunkel’s approach had two elements. First, he categorised psalms accordingto literary genres (Gattungen). Second, he sought the original life setting (Sitzim Leben) that gave rise to each genre and, therefore, to each psalm withinthat genre. His approach was based on premise the form follows function.20