Books by David J Cohen
Psalm 88: Divine Hiddenness, Theistic Dissonance, and the Enigmatic God
When Psychology Meets the Bible, 2023
Psalm 88: Divine Hiddenness,
Theistic Dissonance, and the Enigmatic God
The theory of cognitive ... more Psalm 88: Divine Hiddenness,
Theistic Dissonance, and the Enigmatic God
The theory of cognitive dissonance, first proposed by Leon Festinger in 1957, continues to be helpful in understanding how individuals respond to conflicting cognitions. Festinger’s theory has been subsequently tested, evaluated and developed in various fields since that time. In the Psalter, many examples of cognitive dissonance are encountered in what are commonly referred to as lament psalms. These psalms provide examples of how people of faith grappled with their conflicting cognitions. Among the lament psalms, Psalm 88 is unique in what it reveals about cognitive dissonance; a phenomenon which may be referred to as theistic dissonance. This current exploration seeks to understand the unique contribution Psalm 88 makes to understanding how people of faith deal with cognitive dissonance through prayer and how consonance might ultimately emerge from it.
Historical Afterlives of Jesus: Jesus in Global Perspectives 1, 2023
Discovering Jesus in the Psalms: Early Christian Reception of the Psalms as Messianic Texts (by D... more Discovering Jesus in the Psalms: Early Christian Reception of the Psalms as Messianic Texts (by David J Cohen).
The Psalter is one of the three most cited books of the Hebrew Bible found in the New Testament writings. Some of the citations from the Psalter are utilized by New Testament writers to re-imagine the thoughts and words of the psalmists in the context of the post-Easter Jesus movement. In doing this, New Testament writers both look back to the Psalms and forward from the Psalms as an inspiration for understanding Jesus and the movement that he set in motion. In order to explore this, the essay will consider a selection of psalms within the context of the Psalter and their accompanying contexts in the New Testament writings.
When people describe the Psalms most identify themes of praise and thanksgiving. Of course the Ps... more When people describe the Psalms most identify themes of praise and thanksgiving. Of course the Psalter contains many psalms that stress these two expressions of faith but there is a third. Lament psalms provide another significant and, I would argue, equally important expression. Around one third of the psalms in the Psalter are clearly laments which leads James Crenshaw to say that these psalms are the 'backbone' of the Psalter! Lament psalms typically express a person's, or a community's, response to a distressing experience. Scholars have identified these psalms in different ways. Claus Westermann calls them laments. For him, lament psalms offer a pathway for expressing distress. He also notes that as we read through the Psalter from beginning to end, lament psalms decrease in number while praise and thanksgiving psalms increase in number. Westermann suggests that the decreasing number of laments as the Psalter unfolds is a picture of a growing life of faith. Gerstenberger calls them psalms of complaint. Of course the complaint is always accompanied by a plea or petition asking God to respond. While these and other perspectives are helpful I view these psalms as psalms of distress. Their primary focus is identifying distress, describing responses to distress and imagining hope beyond the distress. Such a process of engagement and expression of a desire for help leads to a place of hope. It is this dynamic that we will explore over the following six reflections. Each lament psalm offers a beginning point to experience the intrinsic power of lament. When they are used alongside praise and thanksgiving they form a powerful triad of prayer. It might be helpful to imagine prayer in the Psalter as balanced on these three 'legs' like a stool. If any one of praise, thanksgiving or lament is missing or under-represented then the prayer life of the believer can lose a sense of equilibrium and become unbalanced. Biblical quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version. (315 words)
In both popular and academic realms the character of Moses has been mined, analysed, and evaluate... more In both popular and academic realms the character of Moses has been mined, analysed, and evaluated for models of leadership and theological significance, among other things. Despite innumerable endeavours to draw conclusions about the character of Moses, even if one eschews his physical existence, a careful reading of the biblical accounts suggests that the Moses figure does not present in a monolithic form. Rather the Moses character ought to be recognized as truly mosaic. When this mosaic character is placed on the blank canvas of the midbar readers encounter opportunity after opportunity to walk alongside this complex mosaic character who is presented as the key leader of the nascent community of Israelites. Perhaps in contrast to an anticipated brief sojourn, the biblical text presents a community traversing the midbar and finding itself in a seemingly intractable liminal space between captivity and liberation which refuses to loosen its grasp.
My intention in this paper is to consider four features of this midbar experience, which I view as a liminal space, under the leadership of Moses. Several contrasting images of Mosaic leadership found in the book of Numbers will be presented. These images, emerging at various junctures in the narrative, bear witness to leader and community in a liminal space offering mimetic, parenetic, mythic and parabolic visions. When viewed together these visions create a montage which highlights the enigma of the person Moses and the value of liminal space. In addition I will argue that they also offer a fresh vision of how leaders and communities develop in liminal spaces such as that symbolized by the midbar. The result of such a process can be both challenging and transforming for leaders and followers alike.
Praying Lament Psalms: The Psychodynamics of Distress
The Psalter, as a collection of prayers, acts as a window into the nature of humankind, a window ... more The Psalter, as a collection of prayers, acts as a window into the nature of humankind, a window into human experience, and even a mirror in which we can see ourselves vividly reflected. Perhaps the psalms which resonate most deeply with our humanity are the lament psalms. These psalms voice a sense of brokenness and vulnerability common to human experience and the strong desire of human beings to reach wholeness. The intentional and systematic use of lament psalms, constituting a major genre within the Psalter, throughout Judeo-Christian history self-evidently reinforces their significance. The nature of the Psalter and its common use prompted John Calvin to conclude:
I have been accustomed to call this, I think not inappropriately, ‘An Anatomy of All Parts of the Soul’; for there is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror. Or rather, the Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life all the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubt, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short all the distracting emotions with which human minds are wont to be agitated.
The aesthetic qualities of the psalms and the wide gamut of experience expressed within them have provided a substantial resource for articulating deep emotion and thinking about God, self and others. There is a sense of timelessness about the Psalms yet those who wrote them, and those who have used them, share in the familiar experiences of life so markedly expressed throughout the Psalter. It is for this reason that the Psalter has always featured prominently in Judeo-Christian history as people have sought to express themselves in authentic ways to God.
Over the past hundred years, in particular, scholars have explored and explained the Psalter in many ways, in part attempting to understand why such prominent use has persisted in much of Judeo-Christian history and tradition. Diversity in more recent approaches to researching the psalms could be broadly viewed as three distinct and yet complementary perspectives. First, there are those scholars whose programme has focused on the original Sitz im Leben of psalms. Second, some have focused more particularly on the literary content of various types of psalms in terms of language, style and genre. Third, there are those who have explored the practical application of the Psalter within the contexts of pastoral care and worship. Emerging from this rich seedbed of research is a significant conversation about the relevance of lament psalms as a useful pathway for engagement with, and expression of, distress forming a normative feature of both personal and communal devotion.
Considering historical context, literary style and practical use of the Psalter as a whole and viewing these three approaches as complementary in nature provokes an important question: ‘What might the efficacy be for individuals in using lament psalms as a pathway for engaging with personal distress?’ Responding to this question provides a focus for this study. An extensive literature review, as part of the current study, suggests that empirical research into the role of lament as a form of prayer and its potential efficacy for people faced with distress has not been previously undertaken.
Aim and Scope of the Study
Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the psychodynamic effects on individuals using lament psalms intentionally, in the form of ritual prayer, as a way of engaging with experiences of personal distress. The study focuses only on a particular, defined use and efficacy of what scholars often refer to as the individual lament psalms. The nomenclature attached to these psalms rests on Gunkel’s seminal work in identifying various Gattungen within the Psalter.
The use of selected individual lament psalms in this study is based on a theoretical framework which considers the historical use of these psalms, the literary features of the text itself and the nature of literature as prayer and speech act. Also, the study examines the significance and implications of ritual behaviour as part of a process incorporating lament psalms. The research also necessarily involves an examination of issues regarding the role of ritual, discourse analysis, literary form, speech act theory, prayer and the potential psychodynamic efficacy of such material. While these issues contribute to forming a theoretical model for such a study the action research component seeks ultimately to examine the efficacy of using individual lament psalms.
The challenge to respond to this gap in the research arises for two equally significant reasons. First, the lack of specific action research in the area and second, the reality that within my particular faith tradition use of the psalms in an intentional or systematic way has diminished and has not been encouraged. This has been acutely evident during the latter part of the twentieth century. Decreasing use is evident within three broad contexts: personal devotion, pastoral care and corporate worship. However, this observation is not to suggest a total absence of the use of psalms. Rather, in my faith tradition, the occasional use in any of these settings is normally limited to psalms which fall into the category of praise or thanksgiving. Sadly, psalms of lament have largely been ignored.
Why O Lord? Praying Our Sorrows
As I write, some of my friends and colleagues are experiencing deep distress in their lives every... more As I write, some of my friends and colleagues are experiencing deep distress in their lives every day. Others are struggling with the difficult experiences which most people face everyday and the questions these experiences raise. As I listen to the latest news, to keep abreast of what’s happening in my own country and abroad, I am repeatedly reminded that there are various causes of distress to both individuals and communities and I am prompted to join with many in asking ‘Why, O Lord?’
The Psalter responds to that question and, in so doing, has something important to say to us. I have always had an interest in praying the psalms and having experienced their use in various settings over the years. However, it has become increasingly apparent to me that psalms of distress, those psalms which question, prod, protest and argue, held a critical place in Judeo-Christian history and need to regain a place in our world today. If we, as people of faith, are to engage with our own experiences of distress, and find the grace to stand in solidarity with others in distress, then I believe these psalms are indispensable for that quest.
The intention of this book is twofold. The first goal was to develop a coherent way of looking at psalms of distress in response to the question ‘Why, O Lord?’ This resulted in the Matrix of Lament. With this model in hand, it then became critical to see what happens when psalms of distress are viewed through this lens. Could people begin to pray with the voice of the psalmist, and, in so doing, find a voice for their own sorrows. To this end, I have included the stories of some of those fearless enough to have already embarked on this journey with me, telling their stories when they returned so others might benefit.
Beyond this, it is my hope that what you read here will be a catalyst for you to explore praying all the psalms and psalms of distress in particular. If you are not familiar with these particular psalms, which make up over a third of the Psalter, or even if you are, please embark on this journey with me. I trust that your journey will reflect the hope expressed in the words of Ann Weems:
In the godforsaken, obscene quicksand of life,
there is a defining alleluia
rising from the souls
of those who weep,
and of those who weep with those who weep.
If you watch, you will see
the hand of God
putting the stars back in their skies
one by one.
May you experience this kind of rising hope as you reflect on your life, and the life of those around you, in light of your journey and, through this book, may you experience a new opportunity to pray your sorrows as you discover the inherent power of these astounding psalms.
David J Cohen, Perth, June 2012
My contribution focused on Psalm 19 and how it takes us on a journey of worship from the cosmos a... more My contribution focused on Psalm 19 and how it takes us on a journey of worship from the cosmos and into the human heart. It Invites the reader to experience worshipping God as a transformative experience.
Beyond 400: Exploring Baptist Futures
This book explores various aspects of Baptist theology and practice as a celebration of our 400 y... more This book explores various aspects of Baptist theology and practice as a celebration of our 400 years of history and a consideration of how the denomination might develop into the future.
This contribution focuses on the potential psychodynamic shifts for a person who engages in a rit... more This contribution focuses on the potential psychodynamic shifts for a person who engages in a ritual process of praying lament psalms.
This book explores the idea of leaders finding strength in the midst of weakness. My chapter focu... more This book explores the idea of leaders finding strength in the midst of weakness. My chapter focuses on the mission and ministry of the prophet Jeremiah discovering clues as to how he prevailed as a leader in a community that was resistent and ultimately doomed to exile.
This chapter considers the imporant place of lament in prayer and worship for people of faith. It... more This chapter considers the imporant place of lament in prayer and worship for people of faith. It introduces my Matrix of Lament which is model I developed as a helpful way of considering both the form and function of lament psalms.
Papers by David J Cohen
At the Edge of the Precipice: Psalm 89 as Liturgical Memory
Ever since the publication of Gerald Wilson’s perspectives on the structure of the Psalter and th... more Ever since the publication of Gerald Wilson’s perspectives on the structure of the Psalter and the presence of Royal psalms at the ‘seams’ in the mid-eighties, much discussion has ensued concerning the significance of the shaping of this majestic collection. Despite the various responses to and, at times, criticisms of Wilson’s proposal his proposals helpfully drew attention to the possibility of an editorial intentionality within the Psalter and the need to carefully examine the transition points between the five ‘books’ making up the corpus. Psalm 89, of course, is a major consideration in that it draws the Psalter to a dramatic climax at the conclusion of Book III. In a tantalizing way the psalm leaves readers teetering on a precipice with no clear resolution in sight.
The focus of this paper is to explore the precipice by considering the rhetorical function of Psalm 89 as an act of liturgical memory for the Israelite faith community. I will address the mimetic, dialogic and parenetic capacity of Psalm 89 to embrace the paradox of kingship, as it played out in Israel’s history, while at the same time performing a pivotal role by propelling the worshipping community into new imaginations about the notion of kingship and the nature of Yahweh for their present and future. As part of this exploration, themes such as covenant, steadfast love and faithfulness will be examined in light of Israel’s story and how Psalm 89 presents them at the edge of the precipice. In light of what is discovered I will also offer some reflections on how this psalm might function rhetorically for faith communities today as we contemplate our historical narratives of faith, our theological conundrums and our existential anxieties in times of great change and significant uncertainty.
Psalm 24 begins with a clear statement of Yahweh’s relationship to the world in which we live; “T... more Psalm 24 begins with a clear statement of Yahweh’s relationship to the world in which we live; “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it”. The psalmist’s vista clearly incorporates not only humankind but also the whole of creation being in relationship with God. In addition the psalm must be viewed as a key component of confessional worship. That is, it is found in the Psalter, the hymnbook of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Consequently Psalm 24 has become a part of our liturgical confession concerning God’s nature, God’s world and the way in which people of faith relate to that world.
The perspective espoused in Psalm 24 raises some significant issues for the Church today which I will endeavour to address in this paper. First, the psalm prompts us to explore how we understand the relationship between God and the earth together with potential implications of such a relationship. It also implicitly invites questions about the relationship between the people of God (the Church) and the world in which we live. I will argue that Psalm 24 presents a picture of divine ownership which, for the psalmist, connotes God’s concern for all of creation and divine engagement with the world.
In an emphatic manner Psalm 24 concludes with a fresh vision for the faith community demonstrating that divine concern for and engagement with the world is fundamentally God’s prerogative. However, the outworking of this divine prerogative is invitational. It sounds a clarion call for the Church to reflect on what a truly divine-human partnership looks like in our world. Psalm 24 suggests both liturgical and missional actions as the Church embraces the spiritual, sociological and environmental challenges confronting us in the 21st century.
Gathering for worship has always been an important expression of being Baptist since the beginnin... more Gathering for worship has always been an important expression of being Baptist since the beginnings of their history over 400 years ago. In the twenty-first century Baptists face a challenge in their practice of worship. Put simply, it is a challenge to value their history and witness by reflecting values and practices in worship which reinforce the distinctives of what has become a significant denomication movement across the world. This paper explores some of the historical background to Baptist worship and core values which ought to be foundational to the worship of Baptist communities today.
Book Reviews by David J Cohen
Review of Biblical Literature, 2020
Review of Biblical Literature, 2018
Book review
Review of Biblical Literature, 2019
Book Review
Colloquium
It has been encouraging to see the Psalter emerge as an area of renewed research interest in more... more It has been encouraging to see the Psalter emerge as an area of renewed research interest in more recent years resulting in an increasing number of fresh approaches. Randy Haney makes a useful contribution to the discussion with this book. As the title suggests his approach is based on the combination of a specific textual and interpretive approach to the understanding and appreciation of the Royal Psalms. Although Royals Psalms are the focus of this volume it would be interesting to employ Haney " s ideas in the analysis of other type of Psalms as well. To begin with Haney explains his approach to the text of Royal Psalms. There is a significant emphasis placed on the importance of appreciating the text as a whole even though his approach also involves precision textual work with individual words, short phrases or verses. In working from a whole text approach Haney emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding various trappings with which the reader may approach the text. Haney describes his approach stating that it is aimed at " …how to read, interpret and explain the " text concept " of three RPss (2, 110, 132) in the HB with a specific focus on the structure analyses of the texts and the concurrent reconstruction of their sub-textual conceptualities. " (p.5) This clearly denotes the two-pronged approach taken. A helpful aspect of the book in framing the issue is the suggestion of a series of questions which provide a starting point for Haney " s approach as he describes it. Essentially these questions are aimed at exposing textual issues and, most importantly, the accompanying " concepts " behind the texts of Royal Psalms. In order to orient the reader Haney then presents a relatively short and yet surprisingly broad survey of approaches to researching the Psalms in general and Royal Psalms in particular. His major criticism of many traditional approaches is what he perceives as attempts to force meaning onto the text. He cites the messianic interpretation of Royal Psalms as a typical example of this. However, he also fairly points out the helpful aspects of each contribution in building a more complete picture of what the Psalms can mean. Haney considers the identification of Gattungen as worthwhile and yet agrees with the view that there is no clear " Royal " form. Rather, he sees these Psalms as addressing the subject of kingship. In regard to the Sitz im Leben, again the usefulness of research in this area is acknowledged. However, the speculative nature of much of this work is identified as a weakness. For Haney the issue always returns to the text in its present form and what arises from this material rather than speculations regarding genre or historical context. It is worth noting at this point that Haney provides extensive footnotes and a comprehensive bibliography containing departure points for further research on any or all of these issues. If readers are not aware of some issues within the text such as the identity of the " king, " the usage of " I " and " we, " and the relationship between the notions of divine and human kingship, then again this background section provides invaluable material. In highlighting these issues Haney is careful to emphasize that questions regarding these details are not so much to do with issues of history or culture, but rather, about
Mikra is a reissue of the same volume released by Fortress and Van Gorcum in 1988 and 1990. The o... more Mikra is a reissue of the same volume released by Fortress and Van Gorcum in 1988 and 1990. The only addition to the original is a dedication paragraph by Harry Sysling in memory of Martin Jan Mulder. Aside from this the text is identical to the earlier work. Many readers would have read reviews of the earlier volume and possibly utilized Mikra as a basis for their own reading and research in the area. However, it is helpful to re-visit the content and thrust of the work for those unfamiliar with the original and perhaps remind those familiar with the material of its continuing value. Essentially the content of Mikra is described well by its subtitle. Broadly speaking it covers three critical issues in dealing with the text of the Hebrew Bible. First it addresses issues related to the formation of the text followed by discussions around the work of translation and finally the history of interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. The detail and precision of the discussion is commendable given the enormous complexity of many of these issues. Even a cursory reading of this book highlights this great complexity particularly in regard to the origins and evolution of the text we now refer to as the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. The great strength of the volume is the way in which such a diverse topic is approached by a number of writers in diverse ways. While acknowledging these complexities the editors have brought together an excellent range of scholarship which describes, analyses and evaluates various aspects of research. Emerging from this is a conversation in which readers are invited to become more informed of the issues and also to engage with the issues themselves The volume begins with a survey of writing in ancient Israel and early Judaism emphasizing the enormity of the shift from spoken word to written word. Following this the second chapter describes extensively the formation of the Hebrew bible, again highlighting the complexity of the both the process and the text itself. Chapter three clearly describes the nature of text transmission and the emergence of the Masoretic tradition as part of the standardization of the text. At the close of the chapter a helpful bibliography of printed Hebrew bibles is included for the interested reader. Reading of the Hebrew bible in the ancient synagogue is the subject of chapter four. This highlights the standardization, to some degree, of the reading as well as the writing of the Hebrew text for worship and devotion. Chapters five
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Books by David J Cohen
Theistic Dissonance, and the Enigmatic God
The theory of cognitive dissonance, first proposed by Leon Festinger in 1957, continues to be helpful in understanding how individuals respond to conflicting cognitions. Festinger’s theory has been subsequently tested, evaluated and developed in various fields since that time. In the Psalter, many examples of cognitive dissonance are encountered in what are commonly referred to as lament psalms. These psalms provide examples of how people of faith grappled with their conflicting cognitions. Among the lament psalms, Psalm 88 is unique in what it reveals about cognitive dissonance; a phenomenon which may be referred to as theistic dissonance. This current exploration seeks to understand the unique contribution Psalm 88 makes to understanding how people of faith deal with cognitive dissonance through prayer and how consonance might ultimately emerge from it.
The Psalter is one of the three most cited books of the Hebrew Bible found in the New Testament writings. Some of the citations from the Psalter are utilized by New Testament writers to re-imagine the thoughts and words of the psalmists in the context of the post-Easter Jesus movement. In doing this, New Testament writers both look back to the Psalms and forward from the Psalms as an inspiration for understanding Jesus and the movement that he set in motion. In order to explore this, the essay will consider a selection of psalms within the context of the Psalter and their accompanying contexts in the New Testament writings.
My intention in this paper is to consider four features of this midbar experience, which I view as a liminal space, under the leadership of Moses. Several contrasting images of Mosaic leadership found in the book of Numbers will be presented. These images, emerging at various junctures in the narrative, bear witness to leader and community in a liminal space offering mimetic, parenetic, mythic and parabolic visions. When viewed together these visions create a montage which highlights the enigma of the person Moses and the value of liminal space. In addition I will argue that they also offer a fresh vision of how leaders and communities develop in liminal spaces such as that symbolized by the midbar. The result of such a process can be both challenging and transforming for leaders and followers alike.
I have been accustomed to call this, I think not inappropriately, ‘An Anatomy of All Parts of the Soul’; for there is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror. Or rather, the Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life all the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubt, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short all the distracting emotions with which human minds are wont to be agitated.
The aesthetic qualities of the psalms and the wide gamut of experience expressed within them have provided a substantial resource for articulating deep emotion and thinking about God, self and others. There is a sense of timelessness about the Psalms yet those who wrote them, and those who have used them, share in the familiar experiences of life so markedly expressed throughout the Psalter. It is for this reason that the Psalter has always featured prominently in Judeo-Christian history as people have sought to express themselves in authentic ways to God.
Over the past hundred years, in particular, scholars have explored and explained the Psalter in many ways, in part attempting to understand why such prominent use has persisted in much of Judeo-Christian history and tradition. Diversity in more recent approaches to researching the psalms could be broadly viewed as three distinct and yet complementary perspectives. First, there are those scholars whose programme has focused on the original Sitz im Leben of psalms. Second, some have focused more particularly on the literary content of various types of psalms in terms of language, style and genre. Third, there are those who have explored the practical application of the Psalter within the contexts of pastoral care and worship. Emerging from this rich seedbed of research is a significant conversation about the relevance of lament psalms as a useful pathway for engagement with, and expression of, distress forming a normative feature of both personal and communal devotion.
Considering historical context, literary style and practical use of the Psalter as a whole and viewing these three approaches as complementary in nature provokes an important question: ‘What might the efficacy be for individuals in using lament psalms as a pathway for engaging with personal distress?’ Responding to this question provides a focus for this study. An extensive literature review, as part of the current study, suggests that empirical research into the role of lament as a form of prayer and its potential efficacy for people faced with distress has not been previously undertaken.
Aim and Scope of the Study
Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the psychodynamic effects on individuals using lament psalms intentionally, in the form of ritual prayer, as a way of engaging with experiences of personal distress. The study focuses only on a particular, defined use and efficacy of what scholars often refer to as the individual lament psalms. The nomenclature attached to these psalms rests on Gunkel’s seminal work in identifying various Gattungen within the Psalter.
The use of selected individual lament psalms in this study is based on a theoretical framework which considers the historical use of these psalms, the literary features of the text itself and the nature of literature as prayer and speech act. Also, the study examines the significance and implications of ritual behaviour as part of a process incorporating lament psalms. The research also necessarily involves an examination of issues regarding the role of ritual, discourse analysis, literary form, speech act theory, prayer and the potential psychodynamic efficacy of such material. While these issues contribute to forming a theoretical model for such a study the action research component seeks ultimately to examine the efficacy of using individual lament psalms.
The challenge to respond to this gap in the research arises for two equally significant reasons. First, the lack of specific action research in the area and second, the reality that within my particular faith tradition use of the psalms in an intentional or systematic way has diminished and has not been encouraged. This has been acutely evident during the latter part of the twentieth century. Decreasing use is evident within three broad contexts: personal devotion, pastoral care and corporate worship. However, this observation is not to suggest a total absence of the use of psalms. Rather, in my faith tradition, the occasional use in any of these settings is normally limited to psalms which fall into the category of praise or thanksgiving. Sadly, psalms of lament have largely been ignored.
The Psalter responds to that question and, in so doing, has something important to say to us. I have always had an interest in praying the psalms and having experienced their use in various settings over the years. However, it has become increasingly apparent to me that psalms of distress, those psalms which question, prod, protest and argue, held a critical place in Judeo-Christian history and need to regain a place in our world today. If we, as people of faith, are to engage with our own experiences of distress, and find the grace to stand in solidarity with others in distress, then I believe these psalms are indispensable for that quest.
The intention of this book is twofold. The first goal was to develop a coherent way of looking at psalms of distress in response to the question ‘Why, O Lord?’ This resulted in the Matrix of Lament. With this model in hand, it then became critical to see what happens when psalms of distress are viewed through this lens. Could people begin to pray with the voice of the psalmist, and, in so doing, find a voice for their own sorrows. To this end, I have included the stories of some of those fearless enough to have already embarked on this journey with me, telling their stories when they returned so others might benefit.
Beyond this, it is my hope that what you read here will be a catalyst for you to explore praying all the psalms and psalms of distress in particular. If you are not familiar with these particular psalms, which make up over a third of the Psalter, or even if you are, please embark on this journey with me. I trust that your journey will reflect the hope expressed in the words of Ann Weems:
In the godforsaken, obscene quicksand of life,
there is a defining alleluia
rising from the souls
of those who weep,
and of those who weep with those who weep.
If you watch, you will see
the hand of God
putting the stars back in their skies
one by one.
May you experience this kind of rising hope as you reflect on your life, and the life of those around you, in light of your journey and, through this book, may you experience a new opportunity to pray your sorrows as you discover the inherent power of these astounding psalms.
David J Cohen, Perth, June 2012
Papers by David J Cohen
The focus of this paper is to explore the precipice by considering the rhetorical function of Psalm 89 as an act of liturgical memory for the Israelite faith community. I will address the mimetic, dialogic and parenetic capacity of Psalm 89 to embrace the paradox of kingship, as it played out in Israel’s history, while at the same time performing a pivotal role by propelling the worshipping community into new imaginations about the notion of kingship and the nature of Yahweh for their present and future. As part of this exploration, themes such as covenant, steadfast love and faithfulness will be examined in light of Israel’s story and how Psalm 89 presents them at the edge of the precipice. In light of what is discovered I will also offer some reflections on how this psalm might function rhetorically for faith communities today as we contemplate our historical narratives of faith, our theological conundrums and our existential anxieties in times of great change and significant uncertainty.
The perspective espoused in Psalm 24 raises some significant issues for the Church today which I will endeavour to address in this paper. First, the psalm prompts us to explore how we understand the relationship between God and the earth together with potential implications of such a relationship. It also implicitly invites questions about the relationship between the people of God (the Church) and the world in which we live. I will argue that Psalm 24 presents a picture of divine ownership which, for the psalmist, connotes God’s concern for all of creation and divine engagement with the world.
In an emphatic manner Psalm 24 concludes with a fresh vision for the faith community demonstrating that divine concern for and engagement with the world is fundamentally God’s prerogative. However, the outworking of this divine prerogative is invitational. It sounds a clarion call for the Church to reflect on what a truly divine-human partnership looks like in our world. Psalm 24 suggests both liturgical and missional actions as the Church embraces the spiritual, sociological and environmental challenges confronting us in the 21st century.
Book Reviews by David J Cohen