(Part 1)

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