Course Description

The course focuses on the Psalter specifically as the prayer book of the Church. Students will explore four topics. (1) The use of the Psalms by New Testament authors, who clearly see Christ as the fulfillment of the prophecies uttered in the Psalter, and continue to pray with it. (2) How to read and pray the Psalms as Christians. (3) Spiritual studies and exercises on how to join oneself with the psalmist in the longing for and love of God. (4) The historical-critical study of the psalms, including their genre and historical context.

Required Readings

· All required readings are posted on the Blackboard site either as full-text Adobe files or as links to texts available on the internet. They are also linked on the course calendar below.

Recommended for Further Reading

· Pope John Paul II. Psalms & Canticles: Meditations and Catechesis on the Psalms and Canticles of Morning Prayer. Chicago: LTP, 2004. For those who would like one bound volume containing many of Pope John Paul II’s commentaries on the Psalms.

· St Robert Bellarmine. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Trans. John O’Sullivan. Reprint available through Preserving Christian Publications <www.pcpbooks.com>

· St John Fisher. Exposition of the Seven Penitential Psalms. San Francisco: Ignatius, 1998.

Weekly Assignments

Reading

Read the assigned readings listed on the Course Calendar below. They will also be listed in the Assignments folder for each week of the course.
Read also any study notes provided in the Assignments folder for the week (on Blackboard), and watch any video clips that may be linked there.
All discussion board postings and quizzes are directly based upon the assigned readings of the week and any other materials that may be listed in the weekly Assignments folder.

Discussion Board Postings

Post at least twice each week.
First, post an answer to one of the discussion questions or topics. Discussion questions are given each week under “Assignments” on the course menu. Answers require a minimum of three sentences.
Second, post at least one response to the entries of your classmates. Responses to classmates can provide brief follow-up questions, make additional points, or politely offer alternative responses. Responses do not need to be more than one or two sentences.
You are invited but not required to continue following the class discussion and to make further contributions after your two required postings.
Both your answer and your response must be posted by 11:59 p.m. on the due date indicated on the course calendar. It is highly recommended, however, that answers be posted at least several days before the due date; this provides more opportunity for student interaction. Late postings will not receive any credit.

Quiz

Each week, there will be an open-book online quiz. Quiz questions address material listed in the “Assignments” for that week and on the Course Calendar.
You may open the quiz and print it out, save it, and then return later to submit your answers. Once you press the submit button you will immediately receive your grade as well as feedback on any questions you missed.
Quizzes must also be taken by the due dates listed on the course calendar for each week. Once the quizzes are removed from Blackboard, they cannot be taken and no credit for them can be received.

Grading

Discussion Board Postings: 50% (5 points per week)
Quizzes: 50% (points for each quiz differ from week to week)

Course Calendar

Week	Due Date	Topic	Readings
0	9/22	Orientation	1. Syllabus
1	9/29	The Psalms in the New Testament	1. Navigating the Psalms [professor’s notes] 2. Three choices of psalm and New Testament texts from “The New Testament: Key to Understanding the Psalms” 3. Garrone, “Prayer in Christ and the Church”
2	10/6	Christians and the Psalms	1. John Paul II, Wednesday General Audiences of 3/28/2001 and 4/4/2001 2. Drijvers chap. 1: “The Psalms as Christian Prayer” 3. Garrone, “Some Working Principles”
3	10/13	Royal Psalms	1. Psalm 72(71) and JPII’s two commentaries on it, delivered 12/1/2004 and 12/15/2004 2. Choose any other royal psalm from the list of papal commentaries. Read that psalm and at least one papal commentary on it. 3. Drijvers chap. 10: “The Royal Psalms”
4	10/20	Penitential Psalms	1. Psalm 51(50) and JPII’s commentary, delivered 7/30/2003 2. Psalm 130(129) and BXVI’s commentary, delivered 10/19/2005 3. St. John Fisher, commentary on Psalm 50
5	10/27	Psalms of Petition	1. Psalm 42(41) and JPII’s commentary, delivered 1/16/2002 2. Psalm 85(84) and JPII’s commentary, delivered 9/25/2002 3. Drijvers chap. 7: “The Psalms of Petition”
6	11/3	Imprecatory Psalms	1. Psalm 109(108) and St John Chrysostom's Commentary on it (on Blackboard) 2. Choose another imprecatory psalm, read it and Augustine's commentary: either St Augustine, Exposition on Psalm 58(57), Exposition on Psalm 109(108), or Exposition on Psalm 137(136) 3. Samuel F. Weber, O.S.B., "Taking up the Psalter"
7	11/10	Psalms of Thanksgiving	1. Psalm 118(117) and JPII’s commentary, delivered 12/5/2001 2. Choose any other thanksgiving psalm from the list of papal commentaries. Read that psalm and at least one papal commentary on it. 3. Drijvers chap. 6: “The Psalms of Thanksgiving”
8	11/17	Pilgrim Psalms	1. Psalm 100(99) and JPII’s commentaries, delivered 11/7/2001 and 1/8/2003 2. Psalm 122(121) and BXVI’s commentary, delivered 10/12/2005 3. Drijvers chap. 8: “The Pilgrim Psalms”
9	11/24	Processional and Enthronement Psalms	1. Psalm 149 and JPII’s commentary, delivered 5/23/2001 2. Choose any other processional or enthronement psalm from the list of papal commentaries. Read that psalm and at least one papal commentary on it. 3. Drijvers chap. 9: “The Processional and Enthronement Psalms”
10	12/1	Psalms of Praise	1. Psalm 117(116) and JPII’s commentaries of 11/28/2001 and 2/5/2003 2. Choose any other psalm of praise from the list of papal commentaries. Read that psalm and at least one papal commentary on it. 3. Drijvers chap. 5: “The Psalms of Praise, or Hymns”