Brian T. German (PhD, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto) is Assistant Professor of Theology at Concordia University Wisconsin and Director of the Concordia Bible Institute. His main area of research is the history of biblical interpretation, particularly how premodern interpreters understood the presence of Christ in the Old Testament.
In this important work on the Psalter, Brian German deploys a
fascinating marriage of twenty-first-century canonical-historical
reading with an investigation into the sixteenth-century exegetical
instincts of Martin Luther. A careful serial reading of the
canonical shape of the Psalter "pressured" a remarkable theological
and pastoral break-through for the Protestant Reformer. German's
historically informed contribution opens up a fresh vista for
theological exegesis in our day.--Christopher Seitz, senior
research professor of biblical interpretation, Wycliffe College,
University of Toronto
German's study.offers a helpful corrective to what nowadays might
be styled a "christotelic" reading of Luther's early work on the
Psalms, while also uncovering the importance of the Psalter's
literal sense for Luther's approach to christology and
ecclesiology. Engaging and brilliant.--Don Collett, associate
professor of Old Testament, Trinity School for Ministry
This marvelous study of Luther's early reading of the Psalms
discloses the power of the word at work on one of the church's most
fertile and acute minds. German's careful, lucid, and
groundbreaking reflections allow us to watch Luther as he permits
himself to be "taken captive" by the Psalms, and to adjust his
reading to conform to "the way the words go" in a manner that
finally moves him to a new set of insights about the nature of both
Scripture and human faithfulness. Challenging several recent trends
in contemporary hermeneutics, German's nuanced analysis reveals
especially the unique way Luther came to appreciate the depth and
richness of an attuned literal reading of the Old Testament that
can speak on its own terms equally to synagogue and
church.--Ephraim Radner, professor of historical theology, Wycliffe
College, University of Toronto
This exemplary study provides a well-organized, well-argued, and
well-written contribution to the understanding of Luther as a
Christian interpreter of the Old Testament. Like a good detective
who carefully considers all the evidence of presentation in a court
of law, German examines...Luther's inaugural First Lectures on the
Psalms to show that the canonical shape of the Psalter determined
how he read the actual text of these psalms as prophetic
testimonies of things to come.--John W. Kleinig, emeritus professor
of biblical theology, Australian Lutheran College
With a keen sense of Luther's fierce engagement with the biblical
text, Brian T. German reconstructs the process by which the Bible
came to vivid life in the embattled Reformer's readings and
rereadings of the text. German pays particular attention to
Luther's insistence on the subject matter of the Psalter as well as
its rhythms. Psalms of the Faithful offers compelling insight into
Luther's understanding of the Old Testament as Christian Scripture.
It is a welcome study in this anniversary year!--Christine Helmer,
Arthur E. Anderson Teaching and Research Professor, professor of
German and religious studies, Northwestern University
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
