Archbishop's Certificate Module 6 - Praying with the Psalms

Module 6 – Praying with the Psalms

Led by Rev’d Assoc Prof Matthew Anstey

Tuesdays, 4.30pm – 6pm, 11 November – 2 December (1 session per week for 4 weeks)

St Theodore’s Anglican Church, Toorak Gardens

The Psalms hold a special place in the Jewish and Christian traditions, as a kaleidoscope of prayers to God: praises, thanksgivings, complaints, wisdom psalms, laments, and so forth. Psalms can be communal or personal, public or devotional, tiny sketches or massive vistas, exploring the A-Z of faith and life (e.g. Psalm 119). In this module, we will look at a wide variety of these psalms and reflect upon how they might enrich our life of prayer and faith and social engagement.

Learning Objectives

1. To be able to identify the main types of psalms (praise, thanksgiving, lament, wisdom, etc) and their life settings

2. To understand how the Psalter as a whole has been put together into a collection, and the way the Psalter tells a story from beginning to end

3. To examine four psalms in depth, using a variety of English translations and imaginative reworkings