Psalms /

Neither an introduction nor a commentary, this guide to reading Psalms in translation describes and applies an eclectic literary approach that unites but does not reconcile modern and postmodern reading strategies. Hunter (Univ. of Glasgow) neither privileges one correct interpretation nor tolerates a disregard for public meaning; he offers a compromise, not a resolution, to a methodological standoff in which meaning is held hostage. "Polysemy," he emphasizes, "is not arbitrariness." Competent reading, accordingly, is a dialog that entails both construction and deconstruction and freely moves from a consideration of textual variants, ancient Near Eastern parallels, historical settings, and literary structures to a re-consideration with counterreadings and personal reflection. Part 1 of the book sets forth Hunter's theoretical model of "framework for reading" and takes up practical issues such as the selection of an appropriate version, the nature of readers and reading, and the translatable elements of Hebrew poetry; Part 2 applies the model in close readings of Psalms 2, 8, 24, 74, and 82; Part 3 demonstrates the model's applicability to a cohesive group of psalms, the Psalms of Ascent (120-34). Upper-division undergraduate through professional. F. R. Ames; Colorado Christian University