Theology of (Certain) Psalms is July 27 spirituality topic

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church summer spirituality series will meet at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 27, in the church at Second and Market streets, Lewes. At the end of each session, King’s Ice Cream is served in the parish hall to all attendees. 

Dr. Josh James will speak on The Theology of (Certain) Psalms. “For many people of faith, the book of Psalms has been a constant companion — it is a prayer book that provides time-honored words for many different occasions, a song book that provides lyrics for communal hymns and laments, or simply a nostalgic resource reminding readers of significant moments in their spiritual journey. But for all of the book's familiarity, Psalms is still very much an ancient and highly diverse collection of theologically dense poetry that can be difficult to read. To understand the book well requires attention to unfamiliar forms and ideas that, because we have read them or sung them for years, we often overlook. As an attempted corrective, in this summer session, we will discuss some of Psalms' most interesting theological concepts, hoping to set them back in their decidedly ancient contexts,” said James.

With a doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary, James is an ordained Baptist minister who was born and raised in southern Delaware. He is currently serving a progressive, Cooperative Baptist church in Salisbury, Md., called The Restoration Project. In addition to church work, he is an adjunct instructor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary, and he is the author of the recently released “Psalms for Normal People.” He lives in Salisbury with his wife Kate and sons Abram, 9, and Jude, 7.