Reviewed Book: Westermann, Claus. The Living Psalms. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1989

Teigen, Ragnar C.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 19Issue 2 Liberation Theology Article 1411-1-1993The Living PsalmsRagnar C. TeigenFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationTeigen, Ragnar C. (1993) "The Living Psalms," Consensus: Vol. 19 : Iss. 2 , Article 14.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol19/iss2/14Book Reviews 145Ifaith in a Christ whose identity the historical Jesus would have eschewedIas a blasphemous violation of the first commandment. The Jesus of theIChalcedonian definition is a denial of the Jesus of history and, based as itis on the false and dangerous witness of John’s christology, is profoundlyanti-semitic. Casey’s prescription is as radical as the diagnosis: the churchought to jettison the historical error of a high christology and recover anI appreciation of Jesus more in harmony with Jesus’ own ideals and those ofIIhis earliest followers.The thesis is vigorously and soberly argued, supported by careful, ifsometimes laboured, exegesis of texts. There are certain points where onewould like to quibble: is Jesus’ self-designation as Son of Man merely aI circumlocution for human being; can we ever really recover Jesus’ self- un-' derstanding or his intentions; is it not reductionist to treat New Testament;christologies functionally as means of establishing community cohesion and' identity; did they not express and create human experience of God; is John’s' Gospel as high in its christology as Casey argues (J. A. T. Robinson, ThePriority of John [London: SCM, 1985] suggests a different picture); is itnot a genetic fallacy to argue that because John’s christology was shapedas part of a strategy to argue for God’s rejection of Israel that whereverthat christology is appropriated the result is necessarily anti-semitic? ButIall this is indeed to quibble. Far more questionable in my estimation is theIclassical liberal agenda of establishing a religiously satisfying christologyi on the basis of a historical-critical reconstruction of Jesus’ intentions andji self-understanding, or those of his first followers. Casey would have us look) behind the texts to get at historical origins; I prefer to stand in front of thetexts and allow them to produce new meanings and creative new ways ofresponding to the world as community horizons and needs change. Far frombeing limited by the self-understanding of Jesus or trapped in the vicious:debates of ancient Christians and Jews, the reader is invited to rediscoverin the Christian Testament stories of Jesus ever new christologies, scarcelyconceived by New Testament authors, relevant to the contemporary situ-,ation of his or her community. To rephrase a saying from Leo the Great,i the formulator of the Chalcedonian definition: lex legendi, lex credendi.Harry MaierVancouver School of TheologyVancouver, B.C.The Living PsalmsClaus Westermann (Trans. J.R. Porter)Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans PublishingI Company, 1989306 pp.' This volume, a translation of Ausgewdhlte Psalmen (originally pub-i lished, 1984, Vandenhoeck Sz Ruprecht, Gottingen) is now available to theEnglish reading public.146 ConsensusClaus Westermann, professor Emeritus of Old Testament at the Uni-versity of Heidelberg, brings his long experience and his usual incisive judg-ments to this volume on Psalms.The present work is composed of a short introduction followed by maingroupings of psalms under a variety of types. A final division illustrateshow the psalms are related to the work of Christ.In the introduction, Westermann makes several important observations.He places the psalms in the larger context of the Old Testament itself. Theyrefiect the history of Israel, not only its official functions, but the whole ofits existence. “What makes the psalms so distinctive is that they mirror thewhole of that life (Israel’s national existence), from the Creator, through HisCreation and its history, down to the personal suffering of the individuals”(3).S'I'ICentral to that life totality of Israel was worship, “the heartbeat ofjthe whole community” (4), i.e., it pertained to the nation’s politics, its jeconomics and culture. Worship, therefore, was not an isolated institution Iwith an independent existence. In this setting the psalms (living expres- ‘sions) arose. But features of psalms such as praises, laments, expressionsjof trust, already evident in patriarchal worship led to individual psalmswith their basis in personal and family life, e.g. Hannah, I Sam. 1. These hpsalms together with communal ones arising from Israel’s national history iform a main division in the psalter in which both forms existed side by side. |That they were oral for some time, as Westermann observes, is something ]\of which biblical scholars have long been aware.|The introduction also deals with subjects such as growth of collections, :iclassifications, the history of prayer and a discussion on the “Psalms as I,Poetry” . IThere are eleven groupings comprising 50 psalms as follows; Communal ]iPsalms of Lament, Communal Psalms of Trust, Royal Psalms, Individual jiPsalms of Lament, Individual Psalms of Trust, Individual Narrative Psalms ii|'of Praise, Descriptive Psalms of Praise (Hymns), Liturgical Psalms, Songs j|,of Zion, Psalms of Blessing, Psalms of Wisdom.|Psalms in each division are presented with texts, annotations and a|discussion on the structure and content. The structures have arisen, not j)‘as an artificial analysis, but from a living setting of some human being in j:exchange with God. Thus, it is not something “thought up” by an author,j(^Rather the dialogue between God and the human, an appeal by the humanand God’s response, has long since been put in forms and is used generation jc^after generation. Each type has an established pattern and an establishedj:-1structure (2-3). It is these assumptions that have led Westermann to hisdescription of structures, a feature of much assistance in understandingj.^each psalm. I^A few observations on how the Psalms relate to Christ. Psalm 113||speaks of God as “Lord in heaven and earth”, who looks far down. These^words foreshadow Christ, says Westermann, in that Christ humbled him-^self as servant. Another observation pertains to the suffering of Christ. HepBook Reviews 147shared in the language of the lament psalms, e.g. Psalm 22, the latter ap-pears in the passion narrative. Thirdly, Psalm 22, affirms deliverance fromsuffering. The evangelists view the entire psalm, suffering and salvationfrom it, hence the element of praise.The reviewer finds this book a welcome addition to psalm studies, notleast the insights of the introduction and the incisive analyses of structurein each of the psalms presented.Ragnar C. TeigenProfessor Emeritus, Waterloo Lutheran SeminaryIJesus and the New Age: A Commentary on St. Luke’sGospelFrederick W. Danker; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988IXX + 410 pagesI Danker has revised his Jesus and the New Age (St. Louis: Clayton,I1972). He argues that the evangelist’s “linguistic versatility and composi-Itional technique combine with keen perception of the substantive issues ofhistory to produce a unique work permeated with dramatic sensitivity” (3).Danker recreates the non-Jewish cultural setting in which the Gospel wascomposed and for which it was chiefly addressed, utilizing contemporaryGreco-Roman sources. This revised edition contains additional parallelswhich he discovered revising the English edition of W. Bauer’s Greek En-glish Lexicon of the New Testament. Through references to the HebrewBible Danker demonstrates that Luke likewise addressed those steeped inJewish tradition as well as teaching gentiles about the roots of Christianity.' Danker argues that Luke portrays Jesus as “Benefactor”, a Greco-RomanIliterary ideal of superior excellence, persons or deities concerned for theIwelfare of the city and citizenry above personal considerations (3). Jesusiannounces a “New Age”, both for the future and for those who believe.IDanker designed this verse-by-verse commentary for the non-profession-Ial reader and uses minimal “technical jargon” (21). There is an exten-Isive introduction, as well as introductions and summaries for the variousIunits. Optional portions of commentary are set off to be read for deeperl| understanding (1). The Revised Standard Version is used except where! he corrects its renderings. He utilizes inclusive terms for God and thei community of faith. Unfortunately, the texts of the various units are noti reprinted, making a companion Bible a necessity. Numerous parallels andS cross-references to other books of the New Testament are included and helpt the reader make quick comparisons. Special attention is given to the bookIIof Acts, the second work of Luke, to demonstrate parallels and theme de-ft velopment. Danker also takes particular concern to provide background for|S passages which involve women.

The Living Psalms

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 19
Issue 2 Liberation Theology Article 14
11-1-1993
The Living Psalms
Ragnar C. Teigen
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Teigen, Ragnar C. (1993) "The Living Psalms," Consensus: Vol. 19 : Iss. 2 , Article 14.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol19/iss2/14
Book Reviews 145
I
faith in a Christ whose identity the historical Jesus would have eschewed
I
as a blasphemous violation of the first commandment. The Jesus of the
I
Chalcedonian definition is a denial of the Jesus of history and, based as it
is on the false and dangerous witness of John’s christology, is profoundly
anti-semitic. Casey’s prescription is as radical as the diagnosis: the church
ought to jettison the historical error of a high christology and recover an
I appreciation of Jesus more in harmony with Jesus’ own ideals and those of
I
I
his earliest followers.
The thesis is vigorously and soberly argued, supported by careful, if
sometimes laboured, exegesis of texts. There are certain points where one
would like to quibble: is Jesus’ self-designation as Son of Man merely a
I circumlocution for human being; can we ever really recover Jesus’ self- un-
' derstanding or his intentions; is it not reductionist to treat New Testament
;
christologies functionally as means of establishing community cohesion and
' identity; did they not express and create human experience of God; is John’s
' Gospel as high in its christology as Casey argues (J. A. T. Robinson, The
Priority of John [London: SCM, 1985] suggests a different picture); is it
not a genetic fallacy to argue that because John’s christology was shaped
as part of a strategy to argue for God’s rejection of Israel that wherever
that christology is appropriated the result is necessarily anti-semitic? But
I
all this is indeed to quibble. Far more questionable in my estimation is the
I
classical liberal agenda of establishing a religiously satisfying christology
i on the basis of a historical-critical reconstruction of Jesus’ intentions and
ji self-understanding, or those of his first followers. Casey would have us look
) behind the texts to get at historical origins; I prefer to stand in front of the
texts and allow them to produce new meanings and creative new ways of
responding to the world as community horizons and needs change. Far from
being limited by the self-understanding of Jesus or trapped in the vicious
:
debates of ancient Christians and Jews, the reader is invited to rediscover
in the Christian Testament stories of Jesus ever new christologies, scarcely
conceived by New Testament authors, relevant to the contemporary situ-
,
ation of his or her community. To rephrase a saying from Leo the Great,
i the formulator of the Chalcedonian definition: lex legendi, lex credendi.
Harry Maier
Vancouver School of Theology
Vancouver, B.C.
The Living Psalms
Claus Westermann (Trans. J.R. Porter)
Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
I Company, 1989
306 pp.
' This volume, a translation of Ausgewdhlte Psalmen (originally pub-
i lished, 1984, Vandenhoeck Sz Ruprecht, Gottingen) is now available to the
English reading public.
146 Consensus
Claus Westermann, professor Emeritus of Old Testament at the Uni-
versity of Heidelberg, brings his long experience and his usual incisive judg-
ments to this volume on Psalms.
The present work is composed of a short introduction followed by main
groupings of psalms under a variety of types. A final division illustrates
how the psalms are related to the work of Christ.
In the introduction, Westermann makes several important observations.
He places the psalms in the larger context of the Old Testament itself. They
refiect the history of Israel, not only its official functions, but the whole of
its existence. “What makes the psalms so distinctive is that they mirror the
whole of that life (Israel’s national existence), from the Creator, through His
Creation and its history, down to the personal suffering of the individuals”
(3).
S'
I'
I
Central to that life totality of Israel was worship, “the heartbeat of
j
the whole community” (4), i.e., it pertained to the nation’s politics, its j
economics and culture. Worship, therefore, was not an isolated institution I
with an independent existence. In this setting the psalms (living expres- ‘
sions) arose. But features of psalms such as praises, laments, expressions
j
of trust, already evident in patriarchal worship led to individual psalms
with their basis in personal and family life, e.g. Hannah, I Sam. 1. These h
psalms together with communal ones arising from Israel’s national history i
form a main division in the psalter in which both forms existed side by side. |
That they were oral for some time, as Westermann observes, is something ]\
of which biblical scholars have long been aware.
|
The introduction also deals with subjects such as growth of collections, :i
classifications, the history of prayer and a discussion on the “Psalms as I,
Poetry” . I
There are eleven groupings comprising 50 psalms as follows; Communal ]i
Psalms of Lament, Communal Psalms of Trust, Royal Psalms, Individual ji
Psalms of Lament, Individual Psalms of Trust, Individual Narrative Psalms ii|
'
of Praise, Descriptive Psalms of Praise (Hymns), Liturgical Psalms, Songs j|
,
of Zion, Psalms of Blessing, Psalms of Wisdom.
|
Psalms in each division are presented with texts, annotations and a
|
discussion on the structure and content. The structures have arisen, not j)
‘
as an artificial analysis, but from a living setting of some human being in j:
exchange with God. Thus, it is not something “thought up” by an author,
j
(
^
Rather the dialogue between God and the human, an appeal by the human
and God’s response, has long since been put in forms and is used generation jc
^
after generation. Each type has an established pattern and an established
j
:-
1
structure (2-3). It is these assumptions that have led Westermann to his
description of structures, a feature of much assistance in understanding
j.
^
each psalm. I
^
A few observations on how the Psalms relate to Christ. Psalm 113
||
speaks of God as “Lord in heaven and earth”, who looks far down. These
^
words foreshadow Christ, says Westermann, in that Christ humbled him-
^
self as servant. Another observation pertains to the suffering of Christ. He
p
Book Reviews 147
shared in the language of the lament psalms, e.g. Psalm 22, the latter ap-
pears in the passion narrative. Thirdly, Psalm 22, affirms deliverance from
suffering. The evangelists view the entire psalm, suffering and salvation
from it, hence the element of praise.
The reviewer finds this book a welcome addition to psalm studies, not
least the insights of the introduction and the incisive analyses of structure
in each of the psalms presented.
Ragnar C. Teigen
Professor Emeritus, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
I
Jesus and the New Age: A Commentary on St. Luke’s
Gospel
Frederick W. Danker
; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988
I
XX + 410 pages
I Danker has revised his Jesus and the New Age (St. Louis: Clayton,
I
1972). He argues that the evangelist’s “linguistic versatility and composi-
I
tional technique combine with keen perception of the substantive issues of
history to produce a unique work permeated with dramatic sensitivity” (3).
Danker recreates the non-Jewish cultural setting in which the Gospel was
composed and for which it was chiefly addressed, utilizing contemporary
Greco-Roman sources. This revised edition contains additional parallels
which he discovered revising the English edition of W. Bauer’s Greek En-
glish Lexicon of the New Testament. Through references to the Hebrew
Bible Danker demonstrates that Luke likewise addressed those steeped in
Jewish tradition as well as teaching gentiles about the roots of Christianity.
' Danker argues that Luke portrays Jesus as “Benefactor”, a Greco-Roman
I
literary ideal of superior excellence, persons or deities concerned for the
I
welfare of the city and citizenry above personal considerations (3). Jesus
i
announces a “New Age”, both for the future and for those who believe.
I
Danker designed this verse-by-verse commentary for the non-profession-
I
al reader and uses minimal “technical jargon” (21). There is an exten-
I
sive introduction, as well as introductions and summaries for the various
I
units. Optional portions of commentary are set off to be read for deeper
l| understanding (1). The Revised Standard Version is used except where
! he corrects its renderings. He utilizes inclusive terms for God and the
i community of faith. Unfortunately, the texts of the various units are not
i reprinted, making a companion Bible a necessity. Numerous parallels and
S cross-references to other books of the New Testament are included and help
t the reader make quick comparisons. Special attention is given to the book
II
of Acts, the second work of Luke, to demonstrate parallels and theme de-
ft velopment. Danker also takes particular concern to provide background for
|S passages which involve women.


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