Psalms: 1-41 - (Psalms: A Sanctuary for the Soul) by Marty Folsom (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The first in an exciting new series on the Psalms and their transformative power in living a life full of emotions, dialogue, and reflection.

The Psalms, a collection of 150 ancient Hebrew poems, songs and prayers, provide one of the richest accounts of humanity's relationship to God. They are dear to the hearts of many generations, particularly when people are navigating life's challenges and seeking joyful restoration.

In the first of a five-part series, Marty Folsom, a leading relational theologian, invites the reader to contemplate each psalm, to hear its heartbeat, to discern its relational themes, to listen deeply into its intentions, and to reflect on the voices that speak when the psalms are unleashed. The reader will find a sanctuary to soak in the Psalms and allow their authentic selves to dwell with the God of grace and mercy.

Ultimately, this is a spiritual guide that lets you know you are not alone. It takes ancient wisdom and crafts melodies and pathways that lead us to intimacy with our Companion Creator as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an invitation to the art of bringing the Psalms to life.

Review Quotes

"Already famed for his theme of reciprocity, the author has now interpreted the Psalms as taking us back into the Garden of Eden, to delight us in a wholly new perspective. Always on the margins of conventional scholarship, Dr. Folsom surprises us with this new exploration like no other scholar."-- "James Houston, Regent College"

"Into the concrete jungle of 'critical and technical' Psalms commentaries, Marty Folsom brings something of an oasis-garden: for each psalm there is an accompanying interpretive paraphrase that helps draw the reader into that world through reaching out to her imagination. This and the linking comments between the treatments of the individual psalms are arresting and inviting to people seeking God's face today. It is very much in the spirit of Eugene Peterson, and by association the affective spirituality of U2's Bono, but also that of the meditative tradition of the undivided Church."-- "Mark Elliot, St. Andrews University"

"The book of Psalms is a gift that keeps on giving. In order to receive that continuing gift, however, careful, attentive, imaginative work of interpretation is required. In this volume (and the other yet to follow) Marty Folsom does much of this hard work for us and with us. He provides playful imagery that opens vistas of communication. He offers suggestive poetry alongside the poetry of the Psalms and is steady in his focus on the God who occupies the Psalter. The reader is invited to join in this good work, to make fresh connections between this old poetry and our own lived reality."-- "Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary"

"Wow, just wow! I love the design of this, the poetry, the invitation for people to abide in the Psalms and meditate on them. Perhaps my favorite part is the parallel of the English translation with a freer poetic version on the left. This is a beautiful way to recover the more formal translation in parallel with poetic creativity." -- "Libby Backfish, William Jessup University"