(Part 1)
JBTM_13-2_Fall_2016
JBTM_13-2_Fall_2016
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JBTM Jeffrey G. Audirsch<br />
46<br />
disorientation-reorientation” theological framework to the Psalter. 67 Orientation is<br />
the worldview where an individual enjoys “a serene location” in life. Disorientation is<br />
understood as “a new distressful situation” that causes the orientation of the individual<br />
to be altered. Reorientation is “new circumstance,” or “newness,” of life. Reorientation,<br />
however, is not merely the reviving of the old, but a surprise. Collectively, then, “orientationdisorientation-reorientation”<br />
represent the cycle of life described in the Psalter. Thus,<br />
Brueggemann believes this cycle is directly applicable to contemporary society.<br />
All three approaches to the Psalter have merit. Yet, to navigate the methodological<br />
considerations presented in each, I believe several principles for interpreting the Psalter<br />
will help extract the meaning of the texts. 68<br />
1. What type of psalm is it? (see discussion above on Gunkel)<br />
2. What is the purpose of the psalm?<br />
3. Who is speaking? (i.e., individual/group)<br />
4. What is the emotional tone of the psalm? (i.e., frustration, joy, rage, etc.)<br />
5. Is the psalm evoking a response from an individual, a group, or both? 69<br />
6. Does the psalm have recurring words, phrases, or motifs? If so, what are they<br />
communicating?<br />
7. What major themes or theology(ies) are emphasized?<br />
8. What is the historical background/context of the psalm? 70 The search for historical<br />
background/context must always be linked to the message/meaning tied to Israel’s<br />
faith. 71 This question is not always answerable, even in commentaries.<br />
67<br />
See Walter Brueggemann, “Psalms and the Life of Faith: A Suggested Typology of Function,”<br />
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 17 (1980): 3–32; idem, The Message of the Psalms: A Theological<br />
Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984); The Psalms & the Life of Faith, ed. Patrick D. Miller<br />
(Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995); Praying the Psalms: Engaging Scripture and the Life of the Spirit, 2 nd ed.<br />
(Eugene, OR.: Cascade Books, 2007).<br />
68<br />
The principles listed are partially adapted from Bullock’s Encountering the Book of Psalms.<br />
69<br />
Concerning this point, Bullock notes, “The content and meaning of the Psalms are reapplied in<br />
the Psalter itself, especially from an individual to a corporate application. Therefore, our reapplication<br />
of them to our own individual and corporate circumstances is justified by the interpretive history<br />
within the Psalter.” See Bullock, Encounter the Book of Psalms, 55.<br />
70<br />
C. Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books, rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody<br />
Publishers, 1998), 145.<br />
71<br />
With reference to psalms lacking any solid historical connections, the interpreter must find a<br />
point of reference to Israel’s faith that in turn should provide a glimmer of context albeit a murky<br />
one. Furthermore, while seeking the origins/context of a poem is paramount, interpreters must