http://courseblogs.atlhub.net/f09theo7372 Personal Learning Environments for Biblical Theologians weblog Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:03:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://courseblogs.atlhub.net/jazz/2010/01/13/still-holds-up/ http://courseblogs.atlhub.net/jazz/2010/01/13/still-holds-up/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:17:40 +0000 sreid http://courseblogs.atlhub.net/jazz/2010/01/13/still-holds-up/ Some books continue to hold up even after a span of years. Walter Brueggemann wrote the book Israel’s Praise: Doxology against Idolatry and Ideology in 1988. However, more than twenty years hence the argument remains compelling. Brueggemann built on the work of Sigmund Mowinckel, Psalmenstudien 1921-1924. In these as of yet un-translated volumes Mowinckel explores the creative and formative function of the ancient Israelite cult as evidenced in the biblical Psalms.
What Brueggemann does so effectively is put this in a post-modern context bringing to bear the work of literary critics/biblical scholars, sociologists, psychologists, and theologians in order to analyze the constructive work of praise. Brueggemann claims that praise constructs a life world.
At the same time praise as constitutive of a life world also functions as a boundary. This boundary provides a hard edge to the soft idolatries and ideologies of post-modernity.
So even after over twenty years Brueggemann’s observation of the constitutive and discerning role of praise continues to challenge the reader of the Bible.

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